Method Resolution Order (MRO) in python.

MRO:

C3 superclass linearization is an algorithm used primarily to obtain the order in which methods should be inherited (the "linearization") in the presence of multiple inheritance, and is often termed "MRO" for Method Resolution Order.

EXAMPLE

class X(object): pass
class Y(object): pass
class Z(object): pass

class A(X,Y): pass
class B(Y,Z): pass

class M(B,A,Z): pass

print "M class attribute __mro__"
print M.__mro__

output: in Tuple
 (<class '__main__.M'>, <class '__main__.B'>, <class '__main__.A'>, <class '__main__.X'>, <class '__main__.Y'>, <class '__main__.Z'>, <type 'object'>)

print "M class method mro()"
print M.mro()

output: in List
[<class '__main__.M'>, <class '__main__.B'>, <class '__main__.A'>, <class '__main__.X'>, <class '__main__.Y'>, <class '__main__.Z'>, <type 'object'>]

The crucial difference between resolution order for legacy vs new-style classes comes when the same ancestor class occurs more than once in the "naive", depth-first approach -- e.g., consider a "diamond inheritance" case:

>>> class A: x = 'a'
... 
>>> class B(A): pass
... 
>>> class C(A): x = 'c'
... 
>>> class D(B, C): pass
... 
>>> D.x
'a'

here, legacy-style, the resolution order is D - B - A - C - A : so when looking up D.x, A is the first base in resolution order to solve it, thereby hiding the definition in C. While:

>>> class A(object): x = 'a'
... 
>>> class B(A): pass
... 
>>> class C(A): x = 'c'
... 
>>> class D(B, C): pass
... 
>>> D.x
'c'
>>> 

here, new-style, the order is:

>>> D.__mro__
(<class '__main__.D'>, <class '__main__.B'>, <class '__main__.C'>, 
    <class '__main__.A'>, <type 'object'>)

with A forced to come in resolution order only once and after all of its subclasses, so that overrides (i.e., C's override of member x) actually work sensibly.

It's one of the reasons that old-style classes should be avoided: multiple inheritance with "diamond-like" patterns just doesn't work sensibly with them, while it does with new-style.

Links : MRO link , programiz link