What is the role of the __init__() method in Python classes?

The __init__() method in Python classes is a special method called a constructor. It is automatically invoked when an object of the class is created and is used to initialize the object’s attributes with the values provided during the object’s creation.

class Person:
    def __init__(self, name, age):
        self.name = name
        self.age = age

    def greet(self):
        print(f"Hello, my name is {self.name} and I am {self.age} years old.")

# Creating an object of Person class
person = Person("Alice", 30)
person.greet()  # Output: Hello, my name is Alice and I am 30 years old.

In this example, the __init__() method initializes the name and age attributes of the Person class. These attributes are then used in other methods of the class, like greet().

Understanding the __init__() method is crucial for creating objects that are properly set up with the necessary initial data, making them ready to be used immediately after creation.