Assign class' staticmethods in static variable in python

Question

I have the following class which produces an error:

class MyClass(object):
 QUERIES_AGGS = {
 'query3': {
 "query": MyClass._make_basic_query,
 'aggregations': MyClass._make_query_three_aggregations,
 'aggregation_transformations': MyClass._make_query_three_transformations
 }
 }
 @staticmethod
 def _make_basic_query():
 #some code here
 @staticmethod
 def _make_query_three_aggregations():
 #some code here
 @staticmethod
 def _make_query_three_transformations(aggs):
 #some code here

For now it won't recognize MyClass. If i remove "MyClass" python won't recognize the functions. I know I could move the static methods from inside the class outside as module functions. Is it possible to keep them inside the class and use them like I am trying?

• Daniel Roseman: You should ask yourself why you want a class here at all. Since it only contains static methods and attributes, it doesn't seem to be necessary to make it a class. Python is not Java; in Python the module is perfectly fine as a unit of encapsulation.
• deceze: By the time you're trying to refer to MyClass._make_basic_query, neither the class definition is finished nor the method is defined.
• Apostolos: @DanielRoseman there are more private and public methods inside MyClass. They are just removed for simplicity.

Answer 1

Change the order so that the dictionary is specified after the methods have been defined. Also don't use MyClass when doing so.

class MyClass(object):
 @staticmethod
 def _make_basic_query():
 #some code here
 pass
 @staticmethod
 def _make_query_three_aggregations():
 #some code here
 pass
 @staticmethod
 def _make_query_three_transformations(aggs):
 #some code here
 pass
 QUERIES_AGGS = {
 'query3': {
 "query": _make_basic_query,
 'aggregations': _make_query_three_aggregations,
 'aggregation_transformations': _make_query_three_transformations
 }
 }

This works because when in the body of the class declaration, you can reference methods without needing the class type. What you are referencing has to have already been declared though.