Constructor Method and Parameters in Intelligent Contracts

The constructor method, __init__, is a fundamental part of any Intelligent Contract. It is used to initialize the state of the contract and set up any necessary parameters. This method allows you to define the initial conditions and properties that your contract will use throughout its execution.

Constructor Parameters

Constructor parameters are the inputs required to set up the initial state of your contract. These parameters can be of any type (e.g., integers, strings, booleans) and are passed to the __init__ method when the contract is instantiated.

from genvm.base.icontract import IContract
 
class WizardOfCoin(IContract):
    def __init__(self, have_coin: bool):
        self.have_coin = have_coin

In this example above, the constructor __init__ initializes the have_coin state variable. The have_coin parameter determines whether the wizard currently possesses the coin.

Flexibility in the Constructor

The constructor method __init__ can include any number of parameters, allowing you to define a wide range of initial states and properties for your contract. You can also execute any necessary Python code within the constructor to set up your contract.

class WizardOfCoin(IContract):
    def __init__(self, have_coin: bool, coin_value: int, coin_owner: str):
        self.have_coin = have_coin
        self.coin_value = coin_value
        self.coin_owner = coin_owner

In the above code, we have added multiple parameters: coin_value and coin_owner. This allows the contract to store additional information about the coin's value and its owner.