Python built-in function callable() is used to check or verify whether a given object or entity can be called or not.
It takes an entity is an argument that may be of any type such as number, string, object or class, etc, and returns a boolean value.

If it returns true then the object can be called inside the program and false means you cannot call that particular object.

Syntax

callable(parameter)

Table of Contents

• Examples
• Key Takeaways
• Conclusion

Examples

    x=15
    print(callable(x)) # returns False

Variable x is a data-type which is not callable hence callable() function returns False.

Using callable() on a function

def show_name():
    print("Pavan")

print(callable(show_name)) # returns True

Functions are callable hence it returns True.

def show_age(age):
    print(age)

print(callable(show_age)) # returns True

Using callable() on Classes and Object methods

class Person:
    def __init__(self, name, age):
        print("My name is {} and i'm {} years old".format(name, age))

print(callable(Person)) #returns True

callable() function will also return True for class and object methods.But not on objects explained below example.

class Person:
    def __init__(self):
        pass
    
    def show_name(self):
        print("My Name is Kumar")

p1 = Person()
print(callable(p1)) # returns False
print(callable(p1.show_name)) # returns True
print(callable(p1.invalid_method_name)) # Throws AttributeError : Person' object has no attribute 'invalid_method_name'

In the above example object p1 of class Person returns False on callable(p1). But when passed with the object show_name method it returns True which means that the object may not be callable but the object method is callable.
If the wrong method is passed with an object were that method doesn’t exist then AttributeError : Person' object has no attribute 'invalid_method_name' is thrown.

To be noted that class may contain methods which may belong to classmethod, staticmethod and object method. So when the object method is called from class this will lead to an exception.

Key Takeaways

• callable() function validates whether the given object is callable or not callable.
• This function doesn’t work with data-types such as string, number, etc, and returns False.
• Some cases were callable will returns True when called in class.
• callable returns False when called on the object. But when called on object followed by the method will return True,
• Returns NameError for the invalid function name.
• Returns AttributeError : object has no attribute for the invalid object method name.

Conclusion

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Summary

Reviewer

The Code Learners

Review Date

2020-11-06

Reviewed Item

Python callable() function

Author Rating

5

Software Name

Python Programming Language

Software Name

Windows Os, Mac Os, Ubuntu Os

Software Category

Programming Langauage