Syntax
object.__bytes__(self)The Python __bytes__() method implements the built-in bytes() function. So, when you cal bytes(x), Python attempts to call x.__bytes__(). If the return value is not a Bytes object or the x.__bytes__() method is not defined for an object on which you call bytes(x), Python will raise a TypeError.
We call this a “Dunder Method” for “Double Underscore Method” (also called “magic method”). To get a list of all dunder methods with explanation, check out our dunder cheat sheet article on this blog.
Background bytes()
Python’s built-in bytes(x) function creates an immutable bytes object initialized as defined in the function argument x.
A bytes object is like a string but it uses only byte characters consisting of a sequence of 8-bit integers in the range 0<=x<256.
The returned byte object is immutable—you cannot change it after creation. If you plan to change the contents, use the bytearray() method to create a mutable bytearray object.
To understand this operation in detail, feel free to read over our tutorial or watch the following video:
Example Custom __bytes__()
In the following example, you create a custom class Data and overwrite the __bytes__() magic method so that it returns a Bytes object b'42' when trying to call bytes(x) on a custom Data object.
class Data:
def __bytes__(self):
return b'42'
x = Data()
res = bytes(x)
print(res)
# ... b'42' ...
TypeError: cannot convert ‘…’ object to bytes
If you hadn’t defined the __bytes__() method, Python would’ve raised a TypeError:
class Data:
pass
x = Data()
res = bytes(x)
print(res)Output:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\xcent\Desktop\code.py", line 6, in <module>
res = bytes(x)
TypeError: cannot convert 'Data' object to bytesTo fix this error, define the x.__bytes__() method for an object x before calling the built-in bytes(x) method passing this object as an argument:
class Data:
def __bytes__(self):
return b'42'
x = Data()
res = bytes(x)
print(res)
# ... b'42' ...
TypeError: __bool__ should return bool, returned …
Consider the following code snippet where you try to return an integer, i.e., non-bytes object in the dunder method __bytes__():
class Data:
def __bytes__(self):
return 42
x = Data()
res = bytes(x)
print(res)
Running this leads to the following error message on my computer:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\xcent\Desktop\code.py", line 7, in <module>
res = bytes(x)
TypeError: __bytes__ returned non-bytes (type int)The reason for the TypeError: __bytes__ returned non-bytes (type ...) error is that the __bytes__() method must return a Bytes object. So, to resolve the error, return a Bytes object, for example, by using the syntax b'...' in your method definition as shown previously:
class Data:
def __bytes__(self):
return b'42'
x = Data()
res = bytes(x)
print(res)
# ... b'42' ...
References:
Where to Go From Here?
Enough theory. Let’s get some practice!
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