What’s the difference between @staticmethod, @classmethod, and instance methods?
What’s the difference between @staticmethod,
@classmethod, and instance methods?
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Anubhav Kumar
28-Aug-20251. Instance Method (default)
selfas the first parameter.self.attr) and class attributes.Use when you need to work with data tied to a specific object.
2. Class Method
@classmethoddecorator.cls(class itself) as the first parameter.self), but can modify class-level data.Use when you need methods that work with class-level state (shared across all instances), or when you want alternate constructors.
3. Static Method
@staticmethod.selforcls.Use when the method doesn’t need instance (
self) or class (cls) data, but logically belongs to the class.Quick Comparison
self)cls)selfclsReal-world Analogy
Think of a Bank Account class:
deposit→ Needs to update that account’s balance → instance method.set_interest_rate→ Affects all accounts (class-level) → class method.validate_amount→ Just a check, doesn’t depend on account or bank → static method.Output -