All About Decorators

Create your own decorators in Python

Learn how to use decorators to augment your functions and classes.

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Why Learn Decorators?

Decorators are everywhere in Python. From Flask routes to to dataclasses — decorators pop up all over in Python.

Decorators use the @ syntax to augment the behavior of functions and classes. They rely on the fact that Python's functions are first-class objects that can be passed into other functions and dynamically defined within other functions.

Learn more: Python Morsels Glossary • Official Python Glossary

🎯 Decorator Fundamentals

Passing functions as arguments to other functions

Functions are first-class objects

🎥 3 minutes

In Python, functions are objects that can be assigned to variables, passed as arguments, and returned from other functions. This fundamental concept is the foundation of decorators.
What is a decorator?

What does @ do?

🎥 5 minutes

A demonstration of how to use a decorator and a quick explanation of what Python's decorator syntax actually does.
How to make a decorator

You can make decorators too!

🎥 5 minutes

A quick recap of how the decorator syntax works and an example of how to create your own function decorators in Python.

🎯 Ready to Get Practice With Decorators?

Join our decorators course with over a dozen hands-on exercises and short easy-to-understand videos.

Explore the Decorators Course →

🎁 Additional Learning Resources

Want another perspective? Here are some of our favorite long-form conference talks on decorators.

💡 Tip: Watch these after taking our our decorators course for optimal learning efficiency!

Decorators, unwrapped: How do they work

Decorators, unwrapped: How do they work

by Katie Silverio

a PyCon talk walking through what decorators are for and work they work
A Taxonomy of Decorators: A-E

A Taxonomy of Decorators: A-E

by Andy Fundinger

a PyCascades talk that attempts to group decorators into categories
Practical decorators

Practical decorators

by Reuven Lerner

another PyCon talk explaining decorators and demonstrating decorator examples
Practical Decorators

Practical Decorators

by Josh Schneider

a PyTexas talk on decorators, noting common decorators, and showing examples
On the Use and Misuse of Decorators

On the Use and Misuse of Decorators

by Chris Neugebauer

a PyGotham talk that stretches the limits of what decorators can do
Tutorial on Decorators

Tutorial on Decorators

by Geir Arne Hjelle

a 3 hour PyCon tutorial on decorators

What's in the Decorators Course?

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Functions First

Decorator fundamentals start with functions. Functions are more flexible and powerful than they appear.

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Create Custom Decorators

You'll build your own decorators from scratch to truly understand how decorators work.

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Real-World Applications

We'll practice logging, measuring performance, caching, and more.

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Advanced Patterns

We'll make both function decorators and class decorators and we'll look at odd decorator edge cases.

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Best Practices

Importantly, we'll learn about how to make sure your function and class decorators are well-behaved.

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Hands-On Practice

You'll reinforce what you've learned through practice. Each video includes a quiz question and an exercise.

Start Learning Decorators Today →