Operator Overloading in Python



Operator Overloading in Python

Operator Overloading means giving extended meaning beyond their predefined operational meaning. For example operator + is used to add two integers as well as join two strings and merge two lists. It is achievable because ‘+’ operator is overloaded by int class and str class. You might have noticed that the same built-in operator or function shows different behavior for objects of different classes, this is called Operator Overloading.

# Python program to show use of
# + operator for different purposes.
print(1 + 2)
# concatenate two strings
print("Geeks"+"For")
# Product two numbers
print(3 * 4)
# Repeat the String
print("Geeks"*4)

Output:

3
GeeksFor
12
GeeksGeeksGeeksGeeks

How to overload the operators in Python?
Consider that we have two objects which are a physical representation of a class (user-defined data type) and we have to add two objects with binary ‘+’ operator it throws an error, because compiler don’t know how to add two objects. So we define a method for an operator and that process is called operator overloading. We can overload all existing operators but we can’t create a new operator. To perform operator overloading, Python provides some special function or magic function that is automatically invoked when it is associated with that particular operator. For example, when we use + operator, the magic method __add__ is automatically invoked in which the operation for + operator is defined.

Overloading binary + operator in Python :
When we use an operator on user defined data types then automatically a special function or magic function associated with that operator is invoked. Changing the behavior of operator is as simple as changing the behavior of method or function. You define methods in your class and operators work according to that behavior defined in methods. When we use + operator, the magic method __add__ is automatically invoked in which the operation for + operator is defined. There by changing this magic method’s code, we can give extra meaning to the + operator.

Code 1: 

# Python Program illustrate how
# to overload an binary + operator
class A:
    def __init__(self, a):
        self.a = a
    # adding two objects
    def __add__(self, o):
        return self.a + o.a
ob1 = A(1)
ob2 = A(2)
ob3 = A("Geeks")
ob4 = A("For")
print(ob1 + ob2)
print(ob3 + ob4)

Output :

3
GeeksFor

Code 2: 

# Python Program to perform addition
# of two complex numbers using binary
# + operator overloading.
class complex:
    def __init__(self, a, b):
        self.a = a
        self.b = b
     # adding two objects
    def __add__(self, other):
        return self.a + other.a, self.b + other.b
Ob1 = complex(1, 2)
Ob2 = complex(2, 3)
Ob3 = Ob1 + Ob2
print(Ob3)

Output :

(3, 5)

Overloading comparison operators in Python :

# Python program to overload
# a comparison operators
class A:
    def __init__(self, a):
        self.a = a
    def __gt__(self, other):
        if(self.a>other.a):
            return True
        else:
            return False
ob1 = A(2)
ob2 = A(3)
if(ob1>ob2):
    print("ob1 is greater than ob2")
else:
    print("ob2 is greater than ob1")

Output :

ob2 is greater than ob1

Overloading equality and less than operators :

# Python program to overload equality
# and less than operators
class A:
    def __init__(self, a):
        self.a = a
    def __lt__(self, other):
        if(self.a<other.a):
            return "ob1 is lessthan ob2"
        else:
            return "ob2 is less than ob1"
    def __eq__(self, other):
        if(self.a == other.a):
            return "Both are equal"
        else:
            return "Not equal"
                
ob1 = A(2)
ob2 = A(3)
print(ob1 < ob2)
ob3 = A(4)
ob4 = A(4)
print(ob1 == ob2)

Output :

ob1 is lessthan ob2
Not equal

Python magic methods or special functions for operator overloading

Binary Operators:

Operator Magic Method
+ __add__(self, other)
__sub__(self, other)
* __mul__(self, other)
/ __truediv__(self, other)
// __floordiv__(self, other)
% __mod__(self, other)
** __pow__(self, other)
>> __rshift__(self, other)
<< __lshift__(self, other)
& __and__(self, other)
| __or__(self, other)
^ __xor__(self, other)

Comparison Operators :

Operator Magic Method
< __LT__(SELF, OTHER)
> __GT__(SELF, OTHER)
<= __LE__(SELF, OTHER)
>= __GE__(SELF, OTHER)
== __EQ__(SELF, OTHER)
!= __NE__(SELF, OTHER)

Assignment Operators :

Operator Magic Method
-= __ISUB__(SELF, OTHER)
+= __IADD__(SELF, OTHER)
*= __IMUL__(SELF, OTHER)
/= __IDIV__(SELF, OTHER)
//= __IFLOORDIV__(SELF, OTHER)
%= __IMOD__(SELF, OTHER)
**= __IPOW__(SELF, OTHER)
>>= __IRSHIFT__(SELF, OTHER)
<<= __ILSHIFT__(SELF, OTHER)
&= __IAND__(SELF, OTHER)
|= __IOR__(SELF, OTHER)
^= __IXOR__(SELF, OTHER)

Unary Operators :

Operator Magic Method
__NEG__(SELF, OTHER)
+ __POS__(SELF, OTHER)
~ __INVERT__(SELF, OTHER)

 

Last Updated on October 26, 2021 by admin

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