python - Why should we pass args as args and not "*args"? -

as i'm reading django documentation, see in example:

from django.db import models  class handfield(models.field):      description = "a hand of cards (bridge style)"      def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):         kwargs['max_length'] = 104         super(handfield, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs) 

i dont understand why call super is:

super(handfield, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs) 

whereas (coming c programming) thought should be:

super(handfield, self).__init__(args, kwargs) 

how comes?

yes. , i'm not asking mean "*" , "**" (link marked duplicate), i'm asking why it's not re-sent without star = why it's re-sent parent with stars, means me: "dictionary of dictionary". , question different duplicate link, , duplicate link doesnt answer question.

the reason use */** unpack packed values given. when class initialized, might initialized with:

handfield(1, 2, 3, abc=4, xyz=5) 

because receives arguments using variable length positional (*) , dynamic keyword (**) arguments (to avoid needing remember , deal specifics of parent class constructor receives), args received (1, 2, 3) , kwargs {'abc': 4, 'xyz': 5}. if parent class defined __init__ of:

def __init__(self, a1, a2, a3, spam=6, eggs=7, abc=none, xyz=none): 

then calling super(handfield, self).__init__(args, kwargs) pass args tuple a1, kwargs dict a2, , pass nothing @ a3 or other arguments. unpacking args , kwargs, convert individual positional , keyword arguments, a1 1, a2 2, a3 3, abc 4 , xyz 5.

basically, they're inverse operations; if accept *, caller passes positional arguments 1 one , "packed" single tuple, accepting ** accepts individual keyword arguments "packed" single dict. if want pass them along same way, "unpack" them make them individual arguments, not collections of arguments.