Python operator overloading

Python operator overloading allows a single operator to perform more than one operation based on the class (type) of operands. For example, operator + is used to add two integers as well as join two strings and merge two lists.

The ‘+’ operator is overloaded by int class and str class and this is called Operator Overloading. 

Python operator overloading

A simple example code the + operator will perform arithmetic addition on two numbers, merge two lists, or concatenate two strings.

# addition on two numbers
print(10 + 20)

# concatenate two strings
print("Hello" + "World")

# merge two lists
list1 = ["a", "b", "c"]
list2 = [1, 2, 3]

list3 = list1 + list2
print(list3)

Output:

For example user has two objects which are the physical representation of a user-defined data type class. The user has to add two objects using the “+” operator, and TypeError raised, since Python didn’t know how to add two Point objects together.

However, we can achieve this task in Python through operator overloading.

Python Special Functions: Class functions that begin with a double underscore __ are called special functions in Python.

Using special functions, we can make our class compatible with built-in functions.

>>> p1 = Point(2,3)
>>> print(p1)
<__main__.Point object at 0x00000000031F8CC0>

Overloading binary + operator in Python

class A:
    def __init__(self, a):
        self.a = a

    # adding two objects 
    def __add__(self, o):
        return self.a + o.a


ob1 = A(10)
ob2 = A(20)
ob3 = A("A")
ob4 = A("B")

print(ob1 + ob2)
print(ob3 + ob4)

Output:

30
AB

Overloading comparison operators in Python

class A:
    def __init__(self, a):
        self.a = a
    def __gt__(self, other):
        if(self.a>other.a):
            return True
        else:
            return False
ob1 = A(2)
ob2 = A(3)
if(ob1>ob2):
    print("ob1 is greater than ob2")
else:
    print("ob2 is greater than ob1")

Output: ob2 is greater than ob1

Python magic functions used for operator overloading:

Binary Operators:

Comparison Operators:

Assignment Operators:

Unary Operator:

Comment if you have any doubts or suggestions on this Python operator topic.

Note: IDE: PyCharm 2021.3.3 (Community Edition)

Windows 10

Python 3.10.1

All Python Examples are in Python 3, so Maybe its different from python 2 or upgraded versions.