In Python, there is a difference between functions and bound methods.
>>>deffoo():...print"foo"...>>>classA:...defbar(self):...print"bar"...>>>a=A()>>>foo>>>a.bar>>>>
Bound methods have been "bound" (how descriptive) to an instance, and that instance will be passed as the first argument whenever the method is called.
Callables that are attributes of a class (as opposed to an instance) are still unbound, though, so you can modify the class definition whenever you want:
>>>deffooFighters(self):...print"fooFighters"...>>>A.fooFighters=fooFighters>>>a2=A()>>>a2.fooFighters>>>>a2.fooFighters()fooFighters
Previously defined instances are updated as well (as long as they haven't overridden the attribute themselves):
>>>a.fooFighters()fooFighters
The problem comes when you want to attach a method to a single instance:
>>>defbarFighters(self):...print"barFighters"...>>>a.barFighters=barFighters>>>a.barFighters()Traceback(most recent call last):File"",line1,inTypeError:barFighters()takes exactly1argument(0given)
The function is not automatically bound when it's attached directly to an instance:
>>>a.barFighters
>>>importtypes>>>a.barFighters=types.MethodType(barFighters,a)>>>a.barFighters>>>>a.barFighters()barFighters
This time other instances of the class have not been affected:
>>>a2.barFighters()Traceback(most recent call last):File"",line1,inAttributeError:A instance has no attribute'barFighters'
More information can be found by reading about descriptors and metaclass programming.