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decorators   0   9261
The simplest explanation of Decorators in Python


Before starting about decorators, first, understand that functions in python have below three properties.

1. Functions are objects. Which means we can assign the function to a variable.
2. A function can be defined inside another function
3. A function can return another function

See example below:

Assigning a function to another variable

# Assigning function to another variable
# a function which adds * around text
def beautify(txt="python"):
    print("*" + txt + "*")

# Assign above function to another variable
star = beautify

# call star
print(star())

# output
>>> *python*


Defining a function inside another function

def beautify():
    # define an inner function
    def inside_beauty(txt="python"):
        print("*" + txt + "*")

    # call inner function
    inside_beauty()

# call outer function
beautify()

# output
>>> *python*


Returning function from another function

def beautify():
    # define an inner function
    def inner_beauty(txt="python"):
        print("*" + txt + "*")

    # return this inner function
    return inner_beauty

# collect return type of beautify in a variable
f = beautify()

print(f)

# output
>>> <function inner_beauty at 0x7fe5c176b7d0>
# call f f() # output >>> *python*


Now when we know that we can assign a function to a variable, can define a function inside another function and can return a function from another function, we can jump to next strep. We can pass a function as a parameter to another function.

def beautify(func):
    print("going to call a function passed as parameter to this function")
    func()
    print("function which was passed as parameter has been called")
def add_stars(txt="python"): print("*" + txt + "*") beautify(add_stars) # output >>> going to call a function passed as parameter to this function *python* function which was passed as parameter has been called


Now coming to what a decorator is: Decorator is a wrapper function that executes some code before and after the function being decorated, just like the example above.


Another Example:
Let's say you want to separate the output of a function by surrounding it with horizontal dividers.

Original Function:

def say_something():
    print("I am the original function.")


Decorator function:

def separate_content(function_to_decorate):
    # a wrapper function
    def wrapper_func():
        print("---------------------------")
        function_to_decorate()
        print("---------------------------")

    return wrapper_func

Now if you call the original function, the output will be I am the original function.

You can decorate the original function by passing it to the decorator function as below.

say_something = separate_content(say_something)
say_something()

# output
---------------------------
I am the original function.
---------------------------


Shortcut to decorate a function is:

@separate_content
def say_something():
    print("I am the original function.")

which when called will give the same out as above.


Now you can just use @separate_content above any function definition and the behavior of that method will be changed without changing the content of that method

decorators   0   9261
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