A First Look at Descriptors

Descriptors are another distinctive feature of Python that take object-oriented programming to another level, and their potential allows users to build more powerful and reusable abstractions. Most of the time, the full potential of descriptors is observed in libraries or frameworks.

First, we will explore the main idea behind descriptors to understand their mechanics and internal workings. Once this is clear, it will be easier to assimilate how the different types of descriptors work, which we will explore later.

The machinery behind descriptors

The way descriptors work is not all that complicated, but the problem with them is that there are a lot of caveats to take into consideration, so the implementation details are of the utmost importance here.

To implement descriptors, we need at least two classes. For this generic example, the ...