What Exactly is a Decorator?

A decorator in Python is a powerful tool that allows you to wrap extra functionality around an existing function. Think of it as putting an extra layer of “awesome” on a function, without actually changing the original code.

How Decorators Work

A decorator is simply a function that takes another function as input, adds some extra functionality, and returns a new function.

Example:

def shout(func):
    def wrapper():
        return func().upper()
    return wrapper

@shout
def greet():
    return "hello"

print(greet())  # Outputs: HELLO

Here, the @shout decorator transforms greet() so it returns its output in uppercase.

Common Use Cases for Decorators

Decorators are handy for adding cross-cutting functionalities to functions, like:

• Logging: Automatically logging whenever a function is called.
• Authentication: Checking permissions before running sensitive functions.
• Timing: Measuring how long a function takes to run.

Stacking Decorators

Yes, you can stack multiple decorators to apply multiple layers of functionality to a single function.

@authenticate
@log
def process_data(data):
    # Function code

This runs authenticate first, then log, and finally process_data.

Final Words: Decorators—Your Function’s Best Friend

Decorators let you add power to your code without clutter. They’re your shortcut to clean, reusable, and enhanced functions.

🥂 Here’s to functions that do more, without the mess!"