Is it necessary to write 'self' in class methods?

In Python, the self parameter in class methods is mandatory if the method is a regular instance method. It is a reference to the current object and allows access to its attributes and other methods. Without self, the method cannot work with the object's state.

However, if the method is declared as @staticmethod, then self is not needed, as such a method is not tied to a specific instance of the class. Similarly, methods decorated with @classmethod usually have cls as the first parameter — a reference to the class itself.

Example:

class MyClass:
    def instance_method(self):
        print('This is an instance method, self is required')

    @staticmethod
    def static_method():
        print('This is a static method, self is not needed')

    @classmethod
    def class_method(cls):
        print('This is a class method, self is not needed, but cls is')