super() is used in Python to call the parent class's methods, and its core role is to return a temporary superclass object to call its methods. 1. It avoids hard-coded parent class names to improve code maintainability; 2. Automatically follow method parsing order (MRO) in multiple inheritance to ensure that all initialization methods are called correctly once; 3. It is often used to extend rather than completely replace parent class behavior, such as preserving the original logic through super().append() when customizing list classes; 4. Best practices include always calling super(), maintaining call consistency, and note that super() can be used without passing parameters in Python 3.
When you see super()
in Python, it's a way to call methods from a parent class—especially useful in inheritance. It helps avoid hard-coding the parent class name, making your code more maintained and less error-prone, especially in complex inheritance scenarios.

What does super()
actually do?
At its core, super()
returns a temporary object of the superclass, allowing you to call its methods. This is especially handy when you're overriding a method in a child class but still want to use the logic from the parent class.
For example:

class Parent: def __init__(self): print("Parent initialized") class Child(Parent): def __init__(self): super().__init__() print("Child initialized")
When you create an instance of Child
, both messages will be printed. Here, super().__init__()
calls the __init__
method of Parent
before proceeding with the rest of the Child
's initialization.
This pattern is widely used in object-oriented programming to extend or customize behavior without completely replacing it.

Why use super()
instead of calling the parent directly?
You might wonder why not just write Parent.__init__(self)
instead of using super()
. The answer lies in flexibility and maintenance:
- Avoids hardcoding class names : If you change the class hierarchy, you won't have to manually update every reference.
- Supports multiple inheritance : When dealing with multiple base classes,
super()
follows the Method Resolution Order (MRO) automatically, which can get complicated to manage manually.
For example, with multiple inheritance:
class A: def __init__(self): print("A init") class B(A): def __init__(self): super().__init__() print("B init") class C(A): def __init__(self): super().__init__() print("C init") class D(B, C): def __init__(self): super().__init__() print("D init")
Creating an instance of D
will print:
A init C init B init D init
This shows that super()
doesn't just go up one level—it follows a specific order based on the class hierarchy (called MRO), which ensures all initializers are called exactly once.
How to use super()
in practice
In real-world applications, super()
is often used in frameworks like Django or Flask where you're subclassing built-in classes and need to preserve their behavior while adding your own.
Here's a simple practical example: customizing a list-like class.
class MyList(list): def append(self, value): if value < 0: raise ValueError("Negative values ??not allowed") super().append(value)
In this case, we're extending the built-in list.append()
method by adding validation, but still using the original behavior via super()
.
Another common usage is in initializing GUI components in libraries like Tkinter or PyQt, where you need to run the parent class setup before adding your custom widgets or logic.
A few gotchas and best practices
- Always call
super()
unless you really mean to skip it – especially in__init__
, otherwise you may miss important setup steps. - Use it consistently across the class hierarchy – mixing explicit parent calls and
super()
can break the MRO chain. - In Python 3, you don't need arguments –
super()
without parameters works fine inside methods. In older versions (Python 2), you had to pass class and instance likesuper(ClassName, self)
.
That's basically how super()
works in Python — not magic, just smart delegation. It makes managing inheritance easier, especially as your class hierarchies grow.
The above is the detailed content of What is super() in Python?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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