What are the differences between decorators and mixins in Python?

What are the differences between decorators and mixins in Python?

Decorators are functions that modify the behavior of another function or method, while mixins are classes that provide methods to other classes through inheritance.

Can you give me an example of a decorator?

Sure! Here's a simple example of a decorator that logs the execution time of a function:

import time

def timer(func):
    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
        start_time = time.time()
        result = func(*args, **kwargs)
        end_time = time.time()
        print(f"{func.__name__} executed in {end_time - start_time} seconds")
        return result
    return wrapper

@timer
def my_function():
    time.sleep(1)
    print("Function executed")

And how about a mixin example?

Certainly! Here's an example of a mixin that adds logging functionality to any class:

class LoggingMixin:
    def log(self, message):
        print(f"Log: {message}")

class MyClass(LoggingMixin):
    def do_something(self):
        self.log("Doing something")

obj = MyClass()
obj.do_something()

When should I use decorators over mixins?

Use decorators when you want to modify or enhance the behavior of functions or methods without changing their code. Use mixins when you want to share functionality across multiple classes through inheritance.