When is the  __del__  method called? When an object is createdWhen an object is copiedWhen an object is deletedWhen an object is initialized

Understanding the __del__ Method

The __del__ method in Python is a special method that is called when an object is about to be destroyed. This typically occurs when the reference count for the object drops to zero, meaning no references to this object remain in the code.

When the __del__ Method is Called

1. When an object is created: This is not the correct time for the __del__ method to be invoked. Creation of an object is handled by the __init__ method.

2. When an object is copied: While copying an object (using methods like copy() or deepcopy()), the original object's __del__ method will not be called until that original object is deleted.

3. When an object is deleted: This is the correct answer. The __del__ method is called when an object’s reference count reaches zero, and Python's garbage collector is about to destroy the object.

4. When an object is initialized: This is not accurate as the initialization of an object is handled by the __init__ method, not __del__.

Final Answer

The __del__ method is called when an object is deleted.