In this article, we’re going to uncover a hidden gem of Python programming – the concept of “Name Mangling”. It may sound a bit like a fantasy novel, but it’s a practical and powerful feature that’s great to have in your coding toolkit. So, let’s dive right in!
What is Name Mangling?
“Name Mangling” is a unique Python trick involving a special use of the double underscore (__
). When we use double underscores before a variable in a class, Python tweaks the variable’s name to make it harder to access unintentionally. This isn’t about creating secret variables, but rather, it’s about avoiding errors in larger programs with many moving parts.