Understanding the property Decorator in Python

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Python provides a powerful way to manage class attributes using the @property decorator. This feature lets you define getters, setters, and deleters while maintaining a clean and Pythonic interface. In this blog post, we'll explore how @property works, why it's useful, and how to apply it effectively in your code.

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What is @property?

The @property decorator allows a method to be accessed like an attribute, making it possible to define computed properties while maintaining encapsulation. This helps enforce data validation and ensures attributes are modified in a controlled manner.

Basic Example

Let’s start with a simple class that uses @property:

class Person:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self._name = name

    @property
    def name(self):
        """Getter method for name"""
        return self._name

    @name.setter
    def name(self, value):
        """Setter method for name"""
        if not isinstance(value, str):
            raise ValueError("Name must be a string")
        self._name = value

    @name.deleter
    def name(self):
        """Deleter method for…