How do I instantiate an object of an existing class at run time with different names?

Question

In Python, I would like to instantiate objects of a class where the objects are instantiated at run time without using dictionaries? So I can refer to the objects properties from the string entered.

class Mammal(object)
    pass

Dog = raw_input("Mammal: ")  - Typed in "Dog"
Dog = Mammal
Dog.Breed = "Terrier"
Dog.Color = "Brown"

Shark = raw_input("Mammal: ")  - Typed in "Shark"
Shark = Mammal
Shark.Fins = 1

print Dog.Color
print Shark.Fins

I am asking is How to create an Object whose name comes from a string. — user1530405, Jan 07 '16 at 06:45
Look this http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19122345/to-convert-string-to-variable-name-in-python — Kenly, Jan 07 '16 at 06:46
Possible duplicate of [Using a string variable as a variable name](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11553721/using-a-string-variable-as-a-variable-name) — GingerPlusPlus, Jan 07 '16 at 06:49
Is this what you are trying to do? `locals()['your_string']=Mammal` — Amal Ts, Jan 07 '16 at 06:53

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 07 '16 at 06:57

0

Store your user input in a dictionary:

class Mammal(object)
    pass

mammals = {}
kind = raw_input("Mammal: ")  # Typed in "Dog"
mammals[kind] = Mammal()
mammals[kind].Breed = "Terrier"
mammals[kind].Color = "Brown"

kind = raw_input("Mammal: ")  # Typed in "Shark"
mammals[kind] = Mammal()
mammals[kind].Fins = 1

print mammals['Dog'].Color
print mammals['Shark'].Fins

answered Jan 07 '16 at 06:57

Daniel

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But I want to use objects rather than dictionaries ! But thanks anyway. – user1530405 Jan 07 '16 at 07:17
@user1530405: I think you are confusing a name, which is an untyped reference, with the object. Using dictionaries in this way is very common in Python - python itself uses such mechanisms all over the place. – cdarke Jan 07 '16 at 07:48

How do I instantiate an object of an existing class at run time with different names?

1 Answers1