Python getattr() Function

Gets the value of an attribute of an object. While normally one just gets the value to an attribute (for example, name = person.name), in meta-programming, it can is often useful to be able to get an attribute by its name.

Syntax

Python

Copy Code

getattr(object, name)

Parameters

Parameter	Description
`object`	Required. The object from which to get the value
`name`	Required. The name of the attribute whose value is to be returned.

Example

Python

Copy Code

class Person:
    def __init__(self):
        self.name = 'Andy'

person = Person()
name = getattr(person, 'name')
print(name)

Output

Andy

Notes

If a default value is not specified, Python will throw an AttributeError exception if the attribute is not defined in the class. By providing a default value, Python returns the default value if the attribute is not defined in the class.

Example

Python

Copy Code

class Person:
    def __init__(self):
        self.name = 'Andy'

person = Person()
firstName = getattr(person, 'firstName', 'Person has no firstName!')
print(firstName)

Output:

Person has no firstName!