Python __repr__

Summary: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use the Python __repr__ dunder method and the difference between the __repr__ and __str__ methods.

Introduction to the Python __repr__ magic method

The __repr__ dunder method defines behavior when you pass an instance of a class to the repr().

The __repr__ method returns the string representation of an object. Typically, the __repr__() returns a string that can be executed and yield the same value as the object.

In other words, if you pass the returned string of the object_name.__repr__() method to the eval() function, you’ll get the same value as the object_name. Let’s take a look at an example.

First, define the Person class with three instance attributes first_name, last_name, and age:

class Person:
    def __init__(self, first_name, last_name, age):
        self.first_name = first_name
        self.last_name = last_name
        self.age = ageCode language: Python (python)

Second, create a new instance of the Person class and display its string representation:

person = Person('John', 'Doe', 25)
print(repr(person))Code language: Python (python)

Output:

<__main__.Person object at 0x000001F51B3313A0>Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

By default, the output contains the memory address of the person object. To customize the string representation of the object, you can implement the __repr__ method like this:

class Person:
    def __init__(self, first_name, last_name, age):
        self.first_name = first_name
        self.last_name = last_name
        self.age = age

    def __repr__(self):
        return f'Person("{self.first_name}","{self.last_name}",{self.age})'Code language: Python (python)

When you pass an instance of the Person class to the repr(), Python will call the __repr__ method automatically. For example:

person = Person("John", "Doe", 25)
print(repr(person))Code language: Python (python)

Output:

Person("John","Doe",25)Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

If you execute the return string Person("John","Doe",25), it’ll return the person object.

When a class doesn’t implement the __str__ method and you pass an instance of that class to the str(), Python returns the result of the __repr__ method because internally the __str__ method calls the __repr__ method:

For example:

person = Person('John', 'Doe', 25)
print(person)Code language: Python (python)

Output:

Person("John","Doe",25)Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

If a class implements the __str__ method, Python will call the __str__ method when you pass an instance of the class to the str(). For example:

class Person:
    def __init__(self, first_name, last_name, age):
        self.first_name = first_name
        self.last_name = last_name
        self.age = age

    def __repr__(self):
        return f'Person("{self.first_name}","{self.last_name}",{self.age})'

    def __str__(self):
        return f'({self.first_name},{self.last_name},{self.age})'


person = Person('John', 'Doe', 25)
# use str()
print(person)

# use repr()
print(repr(person))
Code language: Python (python)

Output:

(John,Doe,25)
Person("John","Doe",25)Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

__str__ vs __repr__

The main difference between __str__ and __repr__ method is intended audiences.

The __str__ method returns a string representation of an object that is human-readable while the __repr__ method returns a string representation of an object that is machine-readable.

Summary

• Implement the __repr__ method to customize the string representation of an object when repr() is called on it.
• The __str__ calls __repr__ internally by default.