What is the difference between classmethod and staticmethod?

Can you explain the difference between classmethod and staticmethod in Python?

Sure! Both are decorators in Python, but they serve different purposes. A classmethod is bound to the class and not the instance, while a staticmethod does not require a class or instance reference.

Can you give me an example of each?

Of course! For a classmethod, you might use it to create factory methods that return an instance of the class. A staticmethod, on the other hand, is used for utility functions that don't need access to class or instance data.

When should I use one over the other?

Use classmethod when you need to access or modify class state, and use staticmethod when you don't need to access class or instance data at all.

Are there any performance differences between them?

Generally, there are no significant performance differences, but classmethods may have a slight overhead due to the need to pass the class as the first argument.