Python Destructors: How to Make Code Cleaner

In this article, we will be looking into a complicated yet important topic in python i.e. Python Destructors I hope you will find this article helpful. Learning Python will be your best choice as it is an easy-to-learn language with English-like syntax, Python Destructors are one of the critical topics you will need to know if you are going to be a Python Developer.

Introduction

The destructors in python get into action when the object is complete and get destroyed after the program execution. As python is an advanced yet pretty easy-to-understand language, It comes with the garbage collector already, Even if we don’t initialize the destructor in Python. The python language itself will handle everything on its own. Still, we are developers so we somehow need a way of creating a destructor in Python. Using the __del__() one can make use of a destructor in Python.

What is Destructor in Python?

One of the pretty most important yet not that-used topics from Python Object-oriented programming is the destructor it only gets into action after the object is completely deleted from the program after the execution of the program ends. You can think of a destructor as a machine which only works until everything is done creating and working.

Advantages of Destructor in Python

Destructor advantages for Python are as follows.

• Release tied objects: The Python destructor removes the objects and those object which is tied with each other also. For example, let’s suppose we have created two objects and they have a name and value assigned to them. In future, if we use inheritance to create some objects then the inheritance objects will also be going to get destroyed with the destructor method.
• Automatically gets called: In Python, there are various methods available and if you have worked in python you have already been using them. Then we have to invoke every technique on our own but the destructor method gets invoked on its own. Without us doing anything.
• Can be invoked: As this is a method, we can also call it manually as well. If we want an object destructor to get immediately called after the object creation then we can mention the destructor method directly below the object init method. An object destructor to get immediately invoked after the creation of the object we invoke that method below the init method.
• Helps to free up memory: Python already has a garbage collector from which the garbage collection and cleaning up memory tasks can be quickly done without us doing anything. Still, the destructor helps us to free up some memory with objects.

Disadvantages of Destructor in Python

Destructor disadvantages for Python are as follows.

• Two Objects refer to each other: Let’s suppose you have created two objects and added the same value to them, then what will happen is In the memory, they will refer to the same value. And when this happens the objects refer to each other. Then the Destructor might not work as we want it to.
• An error occurs in __init__: As I said, the destructor gets called on its own after the object is destroyed, but what happens when we get the error in the method __init__ itself? When an error occurs in the method __init__ the destructor still destroys the object, it does not happen many times still keeping it in mind will be helpful.

Create Destructor using the del() Method

A destructor in python can be created using the method __del__ that is known as a destructor in python, The python destructor does not take any parameters as the constructor __init__ does. We can create a class and then inside that class, we can create the destructor using the method __del__.

As shown in the code below.

class User:
    def __init__(self):
        print("Constructor Init")
        
    def __del__(self):
        print("Destructor init, object deleted")


amol = User()
Code language: Python (python)

Important points to remember about Destructor

1. In python, the constructor and destructor work differently from each other.
2. In Python, The destructor works only after the object is deleted.
3. With the help of the method, __del__() one may invoke the destructor manually.
4. Destructors are useful for garbage collection too.

When Destructor doesn’t work correctly

The second disadvantage that I mentioned earlier in the above section is when an error occurs in the method __init__. While the error is occurring in the method __init__ the destructor still working. It does not happen many times but this should be kept in mind while working with destructors.

What we can do is we can use error handling in the constructor so the code will not execute after the error occurs.

Conclusion

That’s it for this article, In this article, we look into an OOPS concept Destructor and what it is. The advantages of it and the disadvantages also. The article has everything in it, I hope you found this helpful. Will see you in another article till then happy coding 🥳❤️

FAQs

What is the Python method for cleaning an object?

Using the method __del__ that is known as a destructor in Python one can clean the objects, the python destructor does not take any parameters as the constructor __init__ does.

How do you make a destructor in Python?

Using __del__() we can create a destructor in Python.

What is the Python code for making a destructor?

Destructor code for python is as follows.

class User:
    def __init__(self):
        print("Constructor Init")
        
    def __del__(self):
        print("Destructor init, object deleted")


amol = User()
Code language: Python (python)

How does Python clean an object?

Python is a language that supports garbage collection without us doing anything. But how does python clean an object? In python, we can clean the object with the help of a python destructor, because as we discuss in this article how a destructor gets called we can use it for cleaning objects.

The Python destructor – how does it work?

It works automatically we just have to mention the destructor inside the class, and the destructor will handle everything on its own. One can call the destructor manually too.