python - How do I check (at runtime) if one class is a subclass of another? -

let's have class suit , 4 subclasses of suit: heart, spade, diamond, club.

class suit:    ... class heart(suit):    ... class spade(suit):    ... class diamond(suit):    ... class club(suit):    ... 

i have method receives suit parameter, class object, not instance. more precisely, may receive 1 of 4 values: heart, spade, diamond, club. how can make assertion ensures such thing? like:

def my_method(suit):    assert(suit subclass of suit)    ... 

i'm using python 3.

you can use issubclass() assert issubclass(suit, suit).

but why want such thing? python not java.