How to make a class property?

Question

In python I can add a method to a class with the @classmethod decorator. Is there a similar decorator to add a property to a class? I can better show what I'm talking about.

class Example(object):
   the_I = 10
   def __init__( self ):
      self.an_i = 20

   @property
   def i( self ):
      return self.an_i

   def inc_i( self ):
      self.an_i += 1

   # is this even possible?
   @classproperty
   def I( cls ):
      return cls.the_I

   @classmethod
   def inc_I( cls ):
      cls.the_I += 1

e = Example()
assert e.i == 20
e.inc_i()
assert e.i == 21

assert Example.I == 10
Example.inc_I()
assert Example.I == 11

Is the syntax I've used above possible or would it require something more?

The reason I want class properties is so I can lazy load class attributes, which seems reasonable enough.

Answer 1

Here's how I would do this:

class ClassPropertyDescriptor(object):

    def __init__(self, fget, fset=None):
        self.fget = fget
        self.fset = fset

    def __get__(self, obj, klass=None):
        if klass is None:
            klass = type(obj)
        return self.fget.__get__(obj, klass)()

    def __set__(self, obj, value):
        if not self.fset:
            raise AttributeError("can't set attribute")
        type_ = type(obj)
        return self.fset.__get__(obj, type_)(value)

    def setter(self, func):
        if not isinstance(func, (classmethod, staticmethod)):
            func = classmethod(func)
        self.fset = func
        return self

def classproperty(func):
    if not isinstance(func, (classmethod, staticmethod)):
        func = classmethod(func)

    return ClassPropertyDescriptor(func)


class Bar(object):

    _bar = 1

    @classproperty
    def bar(cls):
        return cls._bar

    @bar.setter
    def bar(cls, value):
        cls._bar = value


# test instance instantiation
foo = Bar()
assert foo.bar == 1

baz = Bar()
assert baz.bar == 1

# test static variable
baz.bar = 5
assert foo.bar == 5

# test setting variable on the class
Bar.bar = 50
assert baz.bar == 50
assert foo.bar == 50

The setter didn't work at the time we call Bar.bar, because we are calling TypeOfBar.bar.__set__, which is not Bar.bar.__set__.

Adding a metaclass definition solves this:

class ClassPropertyMetaClass(type):
    def __setattr__(self, key, value):
        if key in self.__dict__:
            obj = self.__dict__.get(key)
        if obj and type(obj) is ClassPropertyDescriptor:
            return obj.__set__(self, value)

        return super(ClassPropertyMetaClass, self).__setattr__(key, value)

# and update class define:
#     class Bar(object):
#        __metaclass__ = ClassPropertyMetaClass
#        _bar = 1

# and update ClassPropertyDescriptor.__set__
#    def __set__(self, obj, value):
#       if not self.fset:
#           raise AttributeError("can't set attribute")
#       if inspect.isclass(obj):
#           type_ = obj
#           obj = None
#       else:
#           type_ = type(obj)
#       return self.fset.__get__(obj, type_)(value)

Now all will be fine.