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Python: equivalent to Java toString()

In Java, overrides toString() method in the your class can change the textual representation of the object. The equivalent in Python is __str__ and __repr__. The important differences are:
  • the goal of __repr__ is to be unambiguous
  • the goal of __str__ is to be human-readable.
  • str(object) calls the object's __str__ method
  • repr(object) calls the object's __repr__ method
  • by default, if __repr__ is defined and __str__ is not, calls to __str__ will be redirected to __repr__
  • __repr__: representation of python object usually eval will convert it back to that object
  • __str__: is whatever you think is that object in text form
  • str(list) calls the list elements' _repr_ methods. Therefore, to make a list of objects human-readable, you need to override __repr__, or use list comprehension like:
    [str(elem) for elem in list]
    ..

see also

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