How do I check if a value is an instance of a specific class or any of its parent classes in Python?
Rashid D
To check if a value is an instance of a specific class or any of its parent classes in Python, you can use theisinstance() function in combination with class inheritance. Here's a long-form explanation of how to perform this check:
1. Determine the Value and Class:
- Start by identifying the value you want to check and the specific class or parent class you want to compare against.
2. Check Class Instances:
- To check if the value is an instance of the specific class or any of its parent classes, use theisinstance() function.
- Theisinstance() function takes two arguments: the value you want to check and the class or tuple of classes to compare against.
- If the value is an instance of the specific class or any of its parent classes, theisinstance() function returnsTrue. Otherwise, it returnsFalse.
- Example:
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class ParentClass:
pass
class ChildClass(ParentClass):
pass
value = ChildClass()
is_instance = isinstance(value, ParentClass)
print(is_instance) # Output: True
By using theisinstance() function with the specific class or parent class, you can check if a value is an instance of the desired class or any of its parent classes. This approach allows you to perform type checking and make decisions based on the class hierarchy.
It's important to note that the order of the classes in the tuple passed toisinstance() is important. If the value is an instance of multiple classes in the tuple, theisinstance() function will returnTrue for the first matching class encountered in the tuple.