Python self method

In Python, when you’re working with classes, there’s one keyword you’ll see in almost every method — and that’s self.

Let’s break it down simply:

The self keyword refers to the current object of the class. It’s how Python knows which object’s data you’re working with inside a method.

Why Use self?

When a method is defined inside a class, Python needs a way to connect that method to the specific object that calls it. That’s what self does — it carries the data of the object that’s using the method.

You must include self as the first parameter of every instance method.

A Real Example

				
					class Profile:
    name = "Zainab"
    age = 21

    def show(self):
        print("My name is", self.name, "and I am", self.age, "years old.")

Now let’s create an object and call the method:

				
					person = Profile()
person.show()

Output:

				
					My name is Zainab and I am 21 years old.

In this example:

self.name and self.age refer to the data inside the object person.
When we call person.show(), Python passes the person object as self to the show method automatically.

Summary

Whenever you define a method inside a class, use self to access the properties and methods of the object that calls it. It’s how Python keeps track of which object is doing what.