The Class API extends the Symbol API to support methods, attributes, and inheritance hierarchies.

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Methods and Method Usages

Classes provide access to their methods and method usages through an intuitive API:

# Access methods
for method in class_def.methods:
    print(f"Method: {method.name}")
    # Find all usages of this method
    for usage in method.usages:
        print(f"Used in {usage.file.name}")

# Get specific methods
init_method = class_def.constructor  # Get __init__ method
process_method = class_def.get_method("process_data")

# Filter methods
public_methods = class_def.methods(private=False)  # Exclude private methods
regular_methods = class_def.methods(magic=False)   # Exclude magic methods

Methods are typed as Function objects.

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Class Attributes

Attributes can be accessed and modified easily:

# Access all attributes
for attr in class_def.attributes:
    print(f"Attribute: {attr.name}")

# Add new attributes
class_def.add_attribute_from_source("count: int = 0")

# Get specific attribute
name_attr = class_def.get_attribute("name")

# Add attribute from another class
other_class = codebase.get_class("OtherClass")
class_def.add_attribute(
    other_class.get_attribute("config"),
    include_dependencies=True  # Also adds required imports
)

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Manipulating Attributes

Attributes expose their own API for modification and analysis:

# Modify attribute values and types
attr = class_def.get_attribute("count")
attr.set_value("42")  # Change value
attr.assignment.set_type_annotation("float")  # Change type
attr.assignment.type.remove()  # Remove type annotation

# Find attribute usages
for usage in attr.usages:
    print(f"Used in {usage.file.name}")

# Find local usages (within the class)
for usage in attr.local_usages:
    print(f"Used in method: {usage.parent_function.name}")

# Rename attributes (updates all references)
attr.rename("new_name")  # Also updates self.count -> self.new_name

# Remove attributes
attr.remove()  # Removes the attribute definition

# Check attribute properties
if attr.is_private:  # Starts with underscore
    print("Private attribute")
if attr.is_optional:  # Optional[Type] or Type | None
    print("Optional attribute")

# Access underlying value
if attr.value:  # The expression assigned to the attribute
    print(f"Default value: {attr.value.source}")

Attribute operations automatically handle all references, including self.attribute usages in methods and string references.

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Working with Inheritance

You can navigate inheritance hierarchies with APIs including:

class_def = codebase.get_class("Cube")

# View ancestors
all_ancestors = class_def.superclasses # All classes inherited
immediate_parents = class_def.superclasses(max_depth=1)  # Direct parents only

# Inheritance-aware method lookup
method = class_def.get_method("process")  # Searches up inheritance chain
if method.parent_class != class_def:
    print(f"Method inherited from {method.parent_class.name}")

# Handle external dependencies
if class_def.is_subclass_of("Enum"):  # Works with stdlib/external classes
    print("This is an enum class")

Likewise, you can modify inheritance by accessing:

Which return lists of Name objects.

# Modify inheritance
parent_names = class_def.parent_class_names
if parent_names[0] == 'BaseClass':
    parent_names[0].edit("NewBaseClass")  # Change parent class

# Get specific parent class
parent_class = class_def.get_parent_class("BaseClass")
if parent_class:
    parent_class.edit("NewBaseClass")  # Change parent class

When working with inheritance, use max_depth to control how far up the inheritance chain to look. max_depth=0 means current class only, max_depth=None means traverse entire hierarchy.

Codegen handles both internal and external parent classes (like stdlib classes). The superclasses property follows the language’s MRO rules for method resolution.

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Method Resolution Order (MRO)

Codegen follows the target language’s method resolution order (MRO) for inheritance:

# Access superclasses
for parent in class_def.superclasses:
    print(f"Parent: {parent.name}")

# Check inheritance
if class_def.is_subclass_of("BaseClass"):
    print("This is a subclass of BaseClass")

# Get all subclasses
for child in class_def.subclasses:
    print(f"Child class: {child.name}")

# Access inherited methods/attributes
all_methods = class_def.methods(max_depth=None)  # Include inherited methods
all_attrs = class_def.attributes(max_depth=None)  # Include inherited attributes