Python __ilshift__() Magic Method

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Syntax

object.__ilshift__(self, other)

The Python __ilshift__() magic method implements in-place bitwise left-shift operation x <<= y that calculates the left-shift operation x << y, and assigns the result to the first operands variable x. This operation is also called augmented arithmetic assignment. The method simply returns the new value to be assigned to the first operand.

  • When you call x <<= y, Python first attempts to call x.__ilshift__(y).
  • If this is not implemented, it tries the normal bitwise left-shift operation x.__lshift__(y).
  • If this is not implemented either, it tries reverse bitwise left-shift operation y.__rlshift__(x) with swapped operands.

The result is then assigned to the first operand x. If none of those operations is implemented, Python raises 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.

Basic Example Overriding __ilshift__

In the following code example, you create a class Data and define the magic method __ilshift__(self, other).

  • The “self” argument is the default argument of each method and it refers to the object on which it is called—in our case, the first operand of the in-place operation.
  • The “other” argument of the in-place method refers to the second operand, i.e., y in the in-place operation x <<= y.

The return value of the operation returns a dummy string 'finxter 42' to be assigned to the first operand. In practice, this would be the result of the in-place bitwise left-shift operation.

class Data:
    def __ilshift__(self, other):
        return 'finxter 42'


x = Data()
y = Data()

x <<= y

print(x)
# finxter 42

In-Place Left-Shift << Without __ilshift__()

To support in-place left-shift on a custom class, you don’t have to overwrite the in-place __ilshift__() method. Because if the method is not defined, Python will fall back to the normal __lshift__() method and assign its result to the first operand.

Here’s an example:

class Data:
    def __lshift__(self, other):
        return 'finxter 42'


x = Data()
y = Data()

x <<= y

print(x)
# finxter 42

Even though the __ilshift__() method is not defined, the in-place bitwise left-shift operation x <<= y still works due to the __lshift__() “fallback” magic method!

In-Place Bitwise Left-Shift Without __ilshift__() and __lshift__()

To support in-place left-shift x <<= y on a custom class, you don’t even have to overwrite any of the x.__ilshift__(y) or x.__lshift__(y) methods. If both are not defined, Python falls back to the reverse y.__rlshift__(x) method and assigns its result to the first operand.

Here’s an example where you create a custom class for the first operand that doesn’t support the bitwise left-shift operation. Then you define a custom class for the second operand that defines the __rlshift__() method. For the in-place operation, Python falls back to the __rlshift__() method defined on the second operand and assigns it to the first operand x:

class Data_1:
    pass

class Data_2:
    def __rlshift__(self, other):
        return 'finxter 42'

x = Data_1()
y = Data_2()

x <<= y

print(x)
# finxter 42

TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for <<=

If you try to perform in-place multiplication x <<= y but neither x.__ilshift__(y), nor x.__lshift__(y), nor y.__rlshift(x) is defined, Python raises a “TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for <<=“. To fix this error, simply define any of those methods before performing the in-place operation.

class Data:
    pass


x = Data()
y = Data()

x <<= y

Output:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\xcent\Desktop\code.py", line 8, in <module>
    x <<= y
TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for <<=: 'Data' and 'Data'

Background Bitwise Left-Shift

The Python bitwise left-shift operator x << n shifts the binary representation of integer x by n positions to the left. For a positive integer, it inserts a 0 bit on the right and shifts all remaining bits by one position to the left. For example, if you left-shift the binary representation 0101 by one position, you’d obtain 01010. Semantically, the bitwise left-shift operator x << n is the same as multiplying the integer x with 2**n.

Python Bitwise Left-Shift << Operator

You can find a full tutorial on bitwise left-shift (including video) here:

Related Video

References:

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