Metaclasses in Python are Awesome

Python metaclasses allow code to run at class definition time, before any instance is created. The built-in `type` is the default metaclass that constructs every class. By subclassing `type` and overriding `__new__` or `__init__`, you can enforce rules (e.g., requiring subclasses to declare a `table_name` attribute) or auto-register classes in a central registry for plugin/command dispatcher systems. Two practical examples are shown: a model base that raises a `TypeError` at class definition if a required attribute is missing, and a command registry that automatically maps subclass names to their classes. The guidance is to prefer `__init_subclass__` for simpler cases and reach for metaclasses only when you need to modify the class namespace or object itself.