5.9. Private Functions

Like most languages, Python has the concept of private elements:

Private functions, which can't be called from outside their module
Private class methods, which can't be called from outside their class
Private attributes, which can't be accessed from outside their class.

Unlike in most languages, whether a Python function, method, or attribute is private or public is determined entirely by its name.

If the name of a Python function, class method, or attribute starts with (but doesn't end with) two underscores, it's private; everything else is public. Python has no concept of protected class methods (accessible only in their own class and descendant classes). Class methods are either private (accessible only in their own class) or public (accessible from anywhere).

In MP3FileInfo, there are two methods: __parse and __setitem__. As you have already discussed, __setitem__ is a special method; normally, you would call it indirectly by using the dictionary syntax on a class instance, but it is public, and you could call it directly (even from outside the fileinfo module) if you had a really good reason. However, __parse is private, because it has two underscores at the beginning of its name.


	In Python, all special methods (like `__setitem__`) and built-in attributes (like `__doc__`) follow a standard naming convention: they both start with and end with two underscores. Don't name your own methods and attributes this way, because it will only confuse you (and others) later.

Example 5.19. Trying to Call a Private Method

>>> import fileinfo
>>> m = fileinfo.MP3FileInfo()
>>> m.__parse("/music/_singles/kairo.mp3") 
Traceback (innermost last):
  File "<interactive input>", line 1, in ?
AttributeError: 'MP3FileInfo' instance has no attribute '__parse'

If you try to call a private method, Python will raise a slightly misleading exception, saying that the method does not exist. Of course it does exist, but it's private, so it's not accessible outside the class.Strictly speaking, private methods are accessible outside their class, just not easily accessible. Nothing in Python is truly private; internally, the names of private methods and attributes are mangled and unmangled on the fly to make them seem inaccessible by their given names. You can access the __parse method of the MP3FileInfo class by the name _MP3FileInfo__parse. Acknowledge that this is interesting, but promise to never, ever do it in real code. Private methods are private for a reason, but like many other things in Python, their privateness is ultimately a matter of convention, not force.

Dive Into Python

5.9. Private Functions

Example 5.19. Trying to Call a Private Method

Further Reading on Private Functions