The super() function in Python is a built-in that allows you to call methods from a parent class within a child class. This is particularly useful when you want to extend the functionality of a parent class without completely rewriting it. Understanding how super() works is crucial for effective object-oriented programming in Python.

Single Inheritance and super()

In single inheritance, where a class inherits from only one parent class, super() simplifies calling the parent’s methods. It’s commonly used in the __init__ method to ensure the parent class is properly initialized.

“super is only needed for proper support of multiple inheritance (and then it only works if every class uses it properly).” [[2]]

However, it’s important to note that using super() doesn’t automatically prevent issues related to accessing methods before the superclass is constructed.As highlighted on stack Overflow, placing super(someMethodInSuper()); as the first statement in a constructor doesn’t guarantee safety if someMethodInSuper() attempts to access uninitialized parts of the superclass [[1]].

multiple Inheritance and Method Resolution Order (MRO)

super() becomes even more powerful and necessary when dealing with multiple inheritance, where a class inherits from multiple parent classes. In this scenario,Python uses the Method Resolution order (MRO) to determine the order in which parent classes are searched for a method.

As explained in a Stack Overflow discussion, if you have classes First and Second, and a class inherits from both, the MRO defines the order in which their init methods are called. Calling super() in First.init will then call Second.init, and so on, until the default object.init is reached [[3]].Failing to call super() in one of the parent classes can disrupt this chain and lead to unexpected behavior.