Circular dependency between python classes

Question

In python, class definitions could depend on each other like this:

 # This is not fine
 class A():
     b = B().do_sth();
     def do_sth(self):
         pass

 class B():
     a = A().do_sth();
     def do_sth(self):
         pass

 # This is fine
 def FuncA():
     b = FuncB()

 def FuncB():
     a = FuncA()

1. Why does clases have this problem, while functions don't?
2. Languages like C++ have declarations: class B to resolve this kind of dependency, does python have similar constructs?

Answer 1

In the function case, we don't actually have to call FuncB to define FuncA. FuncB only needs to be called when we actually call FuncA.

Unlike with functions, the body of a class is executed at definition time. To define class A, we need to actually call a B method, which we can't do because class B isn't defined yet.

To work around this, we can define the classes and then add the properties afterward:

class A(object):
    ...

class B(object):
    ...

A.b = B.do_sth()
B.A = A.do_sth()

If each do_sth call relies on the other call already having been executed, though, this resolution won't work. You will need to perform more extensive changes to fix the problem.

Answer 2

1. Classes have these problems because directives on the class level (b = B.do_smth()) are executed while defining the class, not when you create an instance of the class
2. You may complete the definition of a class lately, after both classes are defined. Python is a dynamic language after all.