In Python class methods, self is a reference to the instance itself. 1. self is used to access properties and methods in a class; 2. It is automatically passed by Python to represent an instance that calls the method; 3. The parameters can be bound to an instance variable to save the state through self; 4. Forgot to write self or misuse the name will cause an error; 5. Although it can be changed, you should use self according to the convention.
In Python class methods, self
is a conventional parameter name that represents the class instance itself. While you can name it another name (like this
), almost everyone uses self
, so it's better to follow this convention as well.

Simply put: self
is used to access properties and methods in a class . Without it, you cannot pass instance information between the methods of the class.

Why do you need to write self
for every method?
When you define a class and write a method in it, the first parameter must be self
, which is stipulated in Python. for example:
class Dog: def bark(self): print("Woof!")
You may ask: "Why don't I pass parameters when I call dog.bark()
, why don't I report an error?"

Because Python automatically passes the instance as the first parameter . That is, dog.bark()
is equivalent to Dog.bark(dog)
.
If you forgot to write self
, write like this:
class Dog: def bark(): # Error! Missing self print("Woof!")
Then try to call dog.bark()
and an error will be reported:
TypeError: bark() takes 0 positional arguments but 1 was given
How to save data by self
A core function of the class is to save state. And self
is the key to storing these states.
For example:
class Person: def __init__(self, name): self.name = name # Save the parameter as instance variable def says_hello(self): print(f"Hello, my name is {self.name}")
In this example:
-
__init__
is a constructor that runs automatically every time a new object is created. -
self.name = name
means we "bind" this value to the instance. - Subsequent methods (such as
say_hello
) can access this name throughself.name
.
You can create multiple objects, each with its own name
:
p1 = Person("Alice") p2 = Person("Bob") p1.say_hello() # Hello, my name is Alice p2.say_hello() # Hello, my name is Bob
Common Errors and Precautions
Here are some common mistakes for beginners, be careful to avoid them:
- ? Forgot to write
self
in the method definition, resulting in the number of parameters in the call time. - ? Use
name
instead ofself.name
in the method, and the variable cannot be found. - ? I mistakenly thought that
self
is a keyword, but it is just an agreement, but don’t change it!
There are some details to note:
- If you add attributes to the instance outside the class (such as
dog.age = 3
), you can also access it inside the class throughself
. - Don't abuse
self
, some temporary variables do not need to be bound to the instance.
Basically that's it. The key to understanding self
is to understand that it is a reference to the instance itself. With it, the various methods in the class can work together.
The above is the detailed content of Python `self` parameter in class methods. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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