# Python context managers

**Python context managers** are objects that define `__enter__` and `__exit__` to manage setup and teardown around a `with` block. They guarantee cleanup runs even if an exception occurs, making them ideal for resource management (files, locks, database connections).

Context managers eliminate try/finally boilerplate and make resource handling declarative and clear.

## Example

This example implements a context manager for database connections and timing.

```python
# run: python3 context_managers.py
# description: custom context manager for resource management

import time

class DatabaseConnection:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.name = name
        self.connected = False
    
    def __enter__(self):
        print(f"Connecting to {self.name}...")
        time.sleep(0.1)  # simulate connection time
        self.connected = True
        return self
    
    def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb):
        print(f"Disconnecting from {self.name}...")
        self.connected = False
        
        if exc_type is not None:
            print(f"Exception occurred: {exc_type.__name__}: {exc_val}")
        return False  # don't suppress exception
    
    def query(self, sql):
        if not self.connected:
            raise RuntimeError("Not connected")
        return f"Result of: {sql}"

# Use context manager
with DatabaseConnection("MyDB") as db:
    print(db.query("SELECT * FROM users"))

print("Connection closed after with block\n")

# Exception handling
try:
    with DatabaseConnection("MyDB") as db:
        print(db.query("SELECT * FROM users"))
        raise ValueError("Bad query")
except ValueError:
    print("Caught exception (cleanup still ran)")
```

## Common patterns

**Decorator approach** (simpler for simple cases):
- `@contextlib.contextmanager` decorator on generator function
- Yield the resource; code after yield runs on exit
- Cleaner than writing a class with `__enter__` and `__exit__`

**Return value from `__enter__`**:
- Often `return self` to access the resource
- Can return a different object
- Assigned to the variable after `as` in `with` statement

**`__exit__` parameters**:
- `exc_type`: exception class (None if no exception)
- `exc_val`: exception instance
- `exc_tb`: exception traceback
- Return `True` to suppress the exception; `False` to re-raise

**Generator version**:
```python
from contextlib import contextmanager

@contextmanager
def database(name):
    print(f"Connecting to {name}...")
    try:
        yield None  # resource goes here
    finally:
        print(f"Disconnecting from {name}...")
```

**Nested contexts**:
- Multiple `with` statements can nest: `with A() as a, B() as b:`
- Or traditional nesting: `with A() as a: with B() as b:`
- Resources acquired in order; cleaned up in reverse

**Common uses**:
- File handling (`with open(...)`)
- Locks and mutexes (`with lock:`)
- Database transactions (`with db.transaction():`)
- Temporary directory changes (`with chdir(...)`)
- Timing/profiling (`with timer():`)
- Mocking and patching (`with patch(...):`)