pyCharm refactoring python class attribute name, does not rename all attribute usages

Question

Considering the following:

class test:
    att = 7


def print_class(class_instance):
    print(class_instance.att)


if (__name__ == '__main__'):
    t = test()
    print_class (t)

print_class expects a class test instance as a parameter, but this is not typed.

Now I'd like to rename by refactoring att However,

print(class_instance.att)

will not be renamed, as the editor has no clue this is the same attribute. This will be discovered only at run time.

Is there a way to overcome this?

Answer 1

As @jonsharpe suggested in the comments, type hints will solve this issue.

However, if you don't want to use type hints, you can use a docstring that attaches a type to class_instance:

class test:
    att = 7


def print_class(class_instance):
    """

    :param test class_instance:
    #       ^ specify type here
    :return:
    """
    print(class_instance.att)


if (__name__ == '__main__'):
    t = test()
    print_class(t)

After refactoring:

class test:
    attribute = 7


def print_class(class_instance):
    """

    :param test class_instance:
    :return:
    """
    print(class_instance.attribute)


if (__name__ == '__main__'):
    t = test()
    print_class(t)