[New Concept]: Decorators

concepts/decorators/about.md

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-#TODO: Add about for this concept.
-
+# About
+
+Decorators are functions that take another function as an argument for the purpose of extending or replacing the behavior of the passed-in function.
+If function `A` is a decorator, and function `B` is its argument, then function `A` modifies, extends or replaces function `B`'s **behavior** _without modifying_ function `B`'s code.
+We say that the decorator function `A` _wraps_ function `B`.
+While we talk about "modifying" behavior, the wrapped function is _not actually changed_.
+Behavior is either added _around_ the wrapped function (_and what it returns_), or the wrapped function's behavior is _substituted_ for some other behavior.
+
+## A Decorator is a Higher-Order Function
+
+A [higher-order function][higher-order functions] is a function that accepts one or more functions as arguments and/or returns one or more functions.
+A function, used as an argument or returned from another function, is a [first-class function][first-class functions].
+A Python function, as a [callable object][callable objects], is a first-class function which can be stored in a variable or used as an argument, much like any other value or object.
+Higher-order functions and first-class functions work together to make decorators possible.
+
+## What Using Decorator Looks Like
+
+The `@` symbol is prepended to the name of the decorator function and placed just above the function to be decorated, like so:
+
+```python
+@decorator
+def decorated_function():
+    pass
+```
+
+Some decorators accept arguments:
+
+```python
+@decorator_with_arg(name="Bob")
+def decorated_function2():
+    pass
+```
+
+If a decorator has defined default arguments, you must use parenthesis in the `@decorator()` call for the decorator to work:
+
+```python
+@decorator_with_default_arg()
+def decorated_function3():
+    pass
+```
+
+If a decorator takes a _positional_ arguments, not supplying the arguments will result in an error which will look something like:
+
+```
+TypeError: decorator_with_pos_arg() missing 1 required positional argument: 'name'
+```
+
+The `@decorator` syntax is syntactic sugar or a shorthand for calling the _decorating function_ and passing the _decorated function_ to it as an argument.
+Following are examples of alternative ways for calling a decorator:
+
+```python
+def function():
+    pass
+
+function = decorator(function)
+
+
+def function2():
+    pass
+
+function2 = decorator_with_arg(name="Bob")(function2)
+
+
+def function3():
+    pass
+
+function3 = decorator_with_default_arg()(function3)
+```
+
+## Writing a Simple Decorator
+
+Most decorators are intended to _extend_ or _replace_ the behavior of another function, but some decorators may do nothing but return the functions they are wrapping.
+
+Decorators are functions which take at least one argument - the function which they are wrapping.
+They usually return either the wrapped function or the result of an expression that uses the wrapped function.
+
+A simple decorator - one that simply returns its wrapped function - can be written as follows:
+```python
+>>> def do_nothing(func):
+...     return func
+...
+... @do_nothing
+... def function4():
+...     return 4
+...
+>>> print(function4())
+4
+```
+
+A decorator may only add side effects, such as additional information used for logging:
+
+```python
+>>> def my_logger(func):
+...     print(f"Entering {func.__name__}")
+...     return func
+...
+... @my_logger
+... def my_func():
+...     print("Hello")
+...
+>>> my_func()
+Entering my_func
+Hello
+```
+
+A decorator does not return itself.
+It may return its function arguments, another function, or one or more values that replace the return from the passed-in or decorated function.
+If a decorator returns another function, it will usually return an [inner function][inner functions].
+
+## Inner Functions
+
+A function can be defined within a function.
+Such a nested function is called an [inner function][inner functions].
+A decorator may use an inner function to wrap its function argument.
+The decorator then returns its inner function.
+The inner function may then return the original function argument.
+
+### A Validating Decorator Using an Inner Function
+
+Following is an example of a decorator being used for validation:
+
+```python
+>>> def my_validator(func):
+...     def my_wrapper(world):
+...         print(f"Entering {func.__name__} with {world} argument")
+...         if ("Pluto" == world):
+...             print("Pluto is not a planet!")
+...         else:
+...             return func(world)
+...     return my_wrapper
+...
+... @my_validator
+... def my_func(planet):
+...     print(f"Hello, {planet}!")
+...
+>>> my_func("World")
+Entering my_func with World argument
+Hello, World!
+...
+>>> my_func("Pluto")
+Entering my_func with Pluto argument
+Pluto is not a planet!
+```
+
+On the first line, we have the definition for the decorator with its `func` argument.
+On the next line is the definition for the decorators _inner function_, which wraps the `func` argument.
+Since the _inner function_ wraps the decorator's `func` argument, it is passed the same argument that is passed to `func`.
+Note that the wrapper doesn't have to use the same name for the argument that was defined in `func`.
+The original function uses `planet` and the decorator uses `world`, and the decorater still works.
+
+The inner function returns either `func` or, if `planet` equals `Pluto`, it will print that Pluto is not a planet.
+It could be coded to raise a `ValueError` instead.
+So, the inner function wraps `func`, and returns either `func` or does something that substitutes what `func` would do.
+The decorator returns its _inner function_.
+It does not _directly_ return the original, passed-in function.
+Depending on what happens in the wrapper function, `func` may or may not be returned.
+
+### Decorating a Function that Takes an Arbitrary Number of Arguments
+
+Decorators can be written for functions that take an arbitrary number of arguments by using the `*args` and `**kwargs` syntax.
+
+Following is an example of a decorator for a function that takes an arbitrary number of arguments:
+
+```python
+>>> def double(func):
+...     def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+...         return func(*args, **kwargs) * 2
+...     return wrapper
+...
+... @double
+... def add(*args):
+...     return sum(args)
+...
+>>> print(add(2, 3, 4))
+18
+>>> print(add(2, 3, 4, 5, 6))
+40
+```
+
+This works for doubling the return value from the function argument.
+If we want to triple, quadruple, etc. the return value, we can add a parameter to the decorator itself.
+
+### Decorators Which Have Their own Parameters
+
+Following is an example of a decorator that can be configured to multiply the decorated function's return value by an arbitrary amount:
+
+```python
+>>> def multi(factor=1):
+...     if (factor == 0):
+...         raise ValueError("factor must not be 0")
+...
+...     def outer_wrapper(func):
+...         def inner_wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+...             return func(*args, **kwargs) * factor
+...         return inner_wrapper
+...     return outer_wrapper
+...
+... @multi(factor=3)
+... def add(*args):
+...     return sum(args)
+...
+>>> print(add(2, 3, 4))
+27
+>>> print(add(2, 3, 4, 5, 6))
+60
+```
+
+The first lines validate that `factor` is not `0`.
+Then the outer wrapper is defined.
+This has the same signature we expect for an unparameterized decorator.
+The outer wrapper has an inner function with the same signature as the original function.
+The inner wrapper does the work of multiplying the returned value from the original function by the argument passed to the decorator.
+The outer wrapper returns the inner wrapper, and the decorator returns the outer wrapper.
+
+Following is an example of a parameterized decorator that controls whether it validates the argument passed to the original function:
+
+```python
+>>> def check_for_pluto(check=True):
+...     def my_validator(func):
+...         def my_wrapper(world):
+...             print(f"Entering {func.__name__} with {world} argument")
+...             if (check and "Pluto" == world):
+...                 print("Pluto is not a planet!")
+...             else:
+...                 return func(world)
+...         return my_wrapper
+...     return my_validator
+...
+... @check_for_pluto(check=False)
+... def my_func(planet):
+...     print(f"Hello, {planet}!")
+...
+>>> my_func("World")
+Entering my_func with World argument
+Hello, World!
+>>> my_func("Pluto")
+Entering my_func with Pluto argument
+Hello, Pluto!
+```
+
+This allows for easy toggling between checking for `Pluto` or not, and is done without having to modify `my_func`.
+
+[callable objects]: https://www.pythonmorsels.com/callables/
+[first-class functions]: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/first-class-functions-python/
+[higher-order functions]: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/higher-order-functions-in-python/
+[inner functions]: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/python-inner-functions/