Meaning of @classmethod and @staticmethod for beginner

In Python, @classmethod is a decorator that is used to define a method as a class method. A class method is a method that is bound to the class and not the instance of the class.

A class method is a method that belongs to a class rather than an instance of the class. They can be called on the class itself, as well as on any instance of the class.

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Here's an example of how to use the @classmethod decorator:

class MyClass:
    def __init__(self, name, age):
        self.name = name
        self.age = age

    @classmethod
    def from_string(cls, string):
        name, age = string.split(',')
        return cls(name, age)

person1 = MyClass('John', 30)
print(person1.name, person1.age)

person2 = MyClass.from_string('Jane, 25')
print(person2.name, person2.age)

In the example above, the from_string method is a class method. It is defined using the @classmethod decorator and takes a cls parameter, which refers to the class itself. The from_string method can be called on the MyClass class, as well as on any instance of the MyClass class.

On the other hand, @staticmethod is a decorator that is used to define a static method. A static method is a method that belongs to a class rather than an instance of the class, but it does not have access to the class or instance. It is a method that is bound to the class and not the instance of the class.

Here's an example of how to use the @staticmethod decorator:

class MyClass:
    def __init__(self, name, age):
        self.name = name
        self.age = age

    @staticmethod
    def greet():
        print('Hello, world!')

person = MyClass('John', 30)
MyClass.greet()
person.greet()

In the example above, the greet method is a static method. It is defined using the @staticmethod decorator and does not take any special parameters. The greet method can be called on the MyClass class, as well as on any instance of the MyClass class.