Question

Can someone explain why Python does the following?

>>> class Foo(object):
...   bar = []
...
>>> a = Foo()
>>> b = Foo()
>>> a.bar.append(1)
>>> b.bar
[1]
>>> a.bar = 1
>>> a.bar
1
>>> b.bar
[1]
>>> a.bar = []
>>> a.bar
[]
>>> b.bar
[1]
>>> del a.bar
>>> a.bar
[1]

It’s rather confusing!

Answer 1

As others have said the code as written creates a class variable rather than an instance variable. You need to assign in __init__ to create an instance variable.

Hopefully this annotated copy of your code is helpful in explaining what’s going on at each stage:

>>> class Foo(object):
...   bar = []          # defines a class variable on Foo (shared by all instances)
...
>>> a = Foo()
>>> b = Foo()
>>> a.bar.append(1)     # appends the value 1 to the previously empty list Foo.bar
>>> b.bar               # returns the value of the class variable Foo.bar
[1]
>>> a.bar = 1           # binds 1 to the instance variable a.bar, masking the access
>>> a.bar               # you previously had to the class variable through a.bar
1
>>> b.bar               # b doesn't have an instance variable 'bar' so this still
[1]                     # returns the class variable
>>> a.bar = []          # bind a's instance variable to to an empty list
>>> a.bar
[]
>>> b.bar               # b doesn't have an instance variable 'bar' so this still
[1]                     # returns the class variable
>>> del a.bar           # unbinds a's instance variable unmasking the class variable
>>> a.bar               # so a.bar now returns the list with 1 in it.
[1]

Also, printing out the value of Foo.bar (the class variable accessed via the class rather than via an instance) after each of your statements might help clarify what is going on.