super() Function

The super() function in Python is used to call methods from a parent class inside a child class.

It’s commonly used in inheritance to extend or customize the behavior of parent class methods.

Example 1: Calling a Parent Method

class Animal:
    def speak(self):
        print("Animal speaks")
 
class Dog(Animal):
    def speak(self):
        super().speak()  # Calls the speak method from Animal
        print("Dog barks")
 
# Create an object of Dog
dog = Dog()
dog.speak()

Output:

Animal speaks
Dog barks

Here, the Dog class overrides the speak() method but still uses super() to call the parent class’s version.

Example 2: Using super() in Constructors

class Person:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.name = name
 
class Student(Person):
    def __init__(self, name, student_id):
        super().__init__(name)   # Calls Person.__init__()
        self.student_id = student_id
 
student = Student("Alice", "S123")
print(student.name, student.student_id)

Output:

Alice S123

Here, super().__init__(name) ensures that the Person class initializes the name attribute, while Student adds its own attribute.

Why Use super()?

• Avoids hardcoding parent class names → More flexible if class hierarchy changes.
• Supports multiple inheritance → Works with Python’s Method Resolution Order (MRO).
• Cleaner and maintainable code → Keeps constructors and overridden methods simpler.

Best Practices

• Always use super() instead of directly calling ParentClass.method().
• Use it in constructors (__init__) when extending parent initialization.
• Remember: In multiple inheritance, super() follows the MRO sequence.

👉 Next tutorial: Python Magic/Dunder Methods