Why doesn't 2.__add__(3) work in Python?

The integer 2 has an __add__ method:

>>> "__add__" in dir(2)
True

… but calling it raises a SyntaxError:

>>> 2.__add__(3)
  File "<stdin>", line 1
    2.__add__(3)
            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Why can’t I use the __add__ method?

Contents hide

Answers:

Method 1

Method 2

Answers:

Thank you for visiting the Q&A section on Magenaut. Please note that all the answers may not help you solve the issue immediately. So please treat them as advisements. If you found the post helpful (or not), leave a comment & I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Method 1

2. is parsed as a float, so 2.__add__ is a SyntaxError.

You can evaluate

(2).__add__(3) instead.

In [254]: (2).__add__(3)
Out[254]: 5

Method 2

Another way to get around 2. being parsed as a float is to insert a space between the 2 and the .

>>> 2 .__add__(3)
5

All methods was sourced from stackoverflow.com or stackexchange.com, is licensed under cc by-sa 2.5, cc by-sa 3.0 and cc by-sa 4.0

0 0 votes

Article Rating