number of instances instance argument not passed compared to simply moving printnuminstances outside the classas prescribed earlierthis version requires an extra staticmethod call (or an line we'll see aheadhoweverit also localizes the function name in the class scope (so it won' clash with other names in the module)moves the function code closer to where it is used (inside the class statement)and allows subclasses to customize the static method with inheritance-- more convenient and powerful approach than importing functions from the files in which superclasses are coded the following subclass and new testing session illustrate (be sure to start new session after changing filesso that your from imports load the latest version of the file)class sub(spam)def printnuminstances()override static method print("extra stuff "but call back to original spam printnuminstances(printnuminstances staticmethod(printnuminstancesfrom spam_static import spamsub sub( sub( printnuminstances(extra stuff number of instances sub printnuminstances(extra stuff number of instances spam printnuminstances(number of instances call from subclass instance call from subclass itself call original version moreoverclasses can inherit the static method without redefining it--it is run without an instanceregardless of where it is defined in class treeclass other(spam)pass inherit static method verbatim other( printnuminstances(number of instances notice how this also bumps up the superclass' instance counterbecause its constructor is inherited and run-- behavior that begins to encroach on the next section' subject counting instances with class methods interestinglya class method can do similar work here--the following has the same behavior as the static method version listed earlierbut it uses class method that receives the instance' class in its first argument rather than hardcoding the class namethe class method uses the automatically passed class object genericallystatic and class methods