Chapter 3 List,Tuple , dictionary and set

Python Collections (Arrays)

There are four collection data types in the Python programming language:

 List is a collection which is ordered and changeable. Allows duplicate members.

 Tuple is a collection which is ordered and unchangeable. Allows duplicate members.
 Set is a collection which is unordered, unchangeable*, and unindexed. No duplicate members.
 Dictionary is a collection which is ordered** and changeable. No duplicate members.

List

Lists are used to store multiple items in a single variable.

Lists are one of 4 built-in data types in Python used to store collections of data, the other 3
are Tuple, Set, and Dictionary, all with different qualities and usage.

Lists are created using square brackets:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Create a List:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

print(thislist)

List Items

List items are ordered, changeable, and allow duplicate values.

List items are indexed, the first item has index [0], the second item has index [1] etc.

Ordered

When we say that lists are ordered, it means that the items have a defined order, and that order will
not change.

If you add new items to a list, the new items will be placed at the end of the list.
Note: There are some list methods that will change the order, but in general: the order of the items
will not change.

Changeable

The list is changeable, meaning that we can change, add, and remove items in a list after it has been
created.

Allow Duplicates

Since lists are indexed, lists can have items with the same value:

Example

Lists allow duplicate values:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "apple", "cherry"]

print(thislist)
.
List Length

To determine how many items a list has, use the len() function:

Example

Print the number of items in the list:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

print(len(thislist))
List Items - Data Types

List items can be of any data type:

Example

String, int and boolean data types:

list1 = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
list2 = [1, 5, 7, 9, 3]
list3 = [True, False, False]

A list can contain different data types:

Example

A list with strings, integers and boolean values:

list1 = ["abc", 34, True, 40, "male"]

type()

From Python's perspective, lists are defined as objects with the data type 'list':

<class 'list'>
Example

What is the data type of a list?

mylist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

print(type(mylist))
Access Items

List items are indexed and you can access them by referring to the index number:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Print the second item of the list:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

print(thislist[1])
.
Note: The first item has index 0.
Negative Indexing

Negative indexing means start from the end

-1 refers to the last item, -2 refers to the second last item etc.
Example

Print the last item of the list:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

print(thislist[-1])
.
Range of Indexes

You can specify a range of indexes by specifying where to start and where to end the range.

When specifying a range, the return value will be a new list with the specified items.

Example

Return the third, fourth, and fifth item:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi", "melon", "mango"]

print(thislist[2:5])
.
Note: The search will start at index 2 (included) and end at index 5 (not included).
Remember that the first item has index 0.

By leaving out the start value, the range will start at the first item:

Example

This example returns the items from the beginning to, but NOT including, "kiwi":

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi", "melon", "mango"]

print(thislist[:4])
.

By leaving out the end value, the range will go on to the end of the list:

Example

This example returns the items from "cherry" to the end:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi", "melon", "mango"]

print(thislist[2:])
.

Range of Negative Indexes

Specify negative indexes if you want to start the search from the end of the list:

Example

This example returns the items from "orange" (-4) to, but NOT including "mango" (-1):

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi", "melon", "mango"]

print(thislist[-4:-1])
.
Check if Item Exists

To determine if a specified item is present in a list use the in keyword:

Example

Check if "apple" is present in the list:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

if "apple" in thislist:
print("Yes, 'apple' is in the fruits list")

hange Item Value

To change the value of a specific item, refer to the index number:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Change the second item:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist[1] = "blackcurrant"
print(thislist)
.

Change a Range of Item Values

To change the value of items within a specific range, define a list with the new values, and refer to
the range of index numbers where you want to insert the new values:

Example

Change the values "banana" and "cherry" with the values "blackcurrant" and "watermelon":

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi", "mango"]

thislist[1:3] = ["blackcurrant", "watermelon"]
print(thislist)
.

If you insert more items than you replace, the new items will be inserted where you specified, and the
remaining items will move accordingly:

Example

Change the second value by replacing it with two new values:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist[1:2] = ["blackcurrant", "watermelon"]
print(thislist)
.
Note: The length of the list will change when the number of items inserted does not match the
number of items replaced.

If you insert less items than you replace, the new items will be inserted where you specified, and the
remaining items will move accordingly:

Example

Change the second and third value by replacing it with one value:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist[1:3] = ["watermelon"]
print(thislist)
.
Insert Items

To insert a new list item, without replacing any of the existing values, we can use the insert() method.

The insert() method inserts an item at the specified index:

Example

Insert "watermelon" as the third item:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist.insert(2, "watermelon")
print(thislist)

Append Items

To add an item to the end of the list, use the append() method:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Using the append() method to append an item:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist.append("orange")
print(thislist)
.
Insert Items

To insert a list item at a specified index, use the insert() method.

The insert() method inserts an item at the specified index:

Example

Insert an item as the second position:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist.insert(1, "orange")
print(thislist)
.
Extend List

To append elements from another list to the current list, use the extend() method.

Example

Add the elements of tropical to thislist:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
tropical = ["mango", "pineapple", "papaya"]
thislist.extend(tropical)
print(thislist)
.

The elements will be added to the end of the list.

Add Any Iterable

The extend() method does not have to append lists, you can add any iterable object (tuples, sets,
dictionaries etc.).

Example

Add elements of a tuple to a list:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thistuple = ("kiwi", "orange")
thislist.extend(thistuple)
print(thislist)

Remove Specified Item

The remove() method removes the specified item.

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Remove "banana":

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist.remove("banana")
print(thislist)
.

If there are more than one item with the specified value, the remove() method removes the first
occurance:

Example

Remove the first occurance of "banana":

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "banana", "kiwi"]
thislist.remove("banana")
print(thislist)
.
Remove Specified Index

The pop() method removes the specified index.

Example

Remove the second item:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist.pop(1)
print(thislist)
.

If you do not specify the index, the pop() method removes the last item.

Example

Remove the last item:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist.pop()
print(thislist)
.

The del keyword also removes the specified index:

Example

Remove the first item:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

del thislist[0]
print(thislist)
.

The del keyword can also delete the list completely.

Example
Delete the entire list:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

del thislist
.
Clear the List

The clear() method empties the list.

The list still remains, but it has no content.

Example

Clear the list content:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

thislist.clear()
print(thislist)

Loop Through a List

You can loop through the list items by using a for loop:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Print all items in the list, one by one:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

for x in thislist:
print(x)
.
Loop Through the Index Numbers

You can also loop through the list items by referring to their index number.

Use the range() and len() functions to create a suitable iterable.

Example

Print all items by referring to their index number:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
for i in range(len(thislist)):
print(thislist[i])
.

The iterable created in the example above is [0, 1, 2].

Using a While Loop

You can loop through the list items by using a while loop.

Use the len() function to determine the length of the list, then start at 0 and loop your way through the
list items by referring to their indexes.

Remember to increase the index by 1 after each iteration.

Example

Print all items, using a while loop to go through all the index numbers

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

i=0
while i < len(thislist):
print(thislist[i])
i=i+1
.
Looping Using List Comprehension

List Comprehension offers the shortest syntax for looping through lists:

Example

A short hand for loop that will print all items in a list:

thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

[print(x) for x in thislist]

List Comprehension

List comprehension offers a shorter syntax when you want to create a new list based on the values of
an existing list.
Example:

Based on a list of fruits, you want a new list, containing only the fruits with the letter "a" in the name.

Without list comprehension you will have to write a for statement with a conditional test inside:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "kiwi", "mango"]
newlist = []

for x in fruits:
if "a" in x:
newlist.append(x)

print(newlist)
.

With list comprehension you can do all that with only one line of code:

Example
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "kiwi", "mango"]

newlist = [x for x in fruits if "a" in x]

print(newlist)
.

The Syntax
newlist = [expression for item in iterable if condition == True]

The return value is a new list, leaving the old list unchanged.

Condition

The condition is like a filter that only accepts the items that valuate to True.

Example
Only accept items that are not "apple":

newlist = [x for x in fruits if x != "apple"]

.

The condition if x != "apple" will return True for all elements other than "apple", making the new list
contain all fruits except "apple".

The condition is optional and can be omitted:

Example

With no if statement:

newlist = [x for x in fruits]

.

Iterable

The iterable can be any iterable object, like a list, tuple, set etc.

Example

You can use the range() function to create an iterable:

newlist = [x for x in range(10)]

.

Same example, but with a condition:

Example

Accept only numbers lower than 5:

newlist = [x for x in range(10) if x < 5]

.

Expression

The expression is the current item in the iteration, but it is also the outcome, which you can
manipulate before it ends up like a list item in the new list:
Example

Set the values in the new list to upper case:

newlist = [x.upper() for x in fruits]

.

You can set the outcome to whatever you like:

Example

Set all values in the new list to 'hello':

newlist = ['hello' for x in fruits]

.

The expression can also contain conditions, not like a filter, but as a way to manipulate the outcome:

Example

Return "orange" instead of "banana":

newlist = [x if x != "banana" else "orange" for x in fruits]

.

List Methods

Python has a set of built-in methods that you can use on lists.

Method Description

append() Adds an element at the end of the list

clear() Removes all the elements from the list

 copy() Returns a copy of the list

count() Returns the number of elements with the specified value

extend() Add the elements of a list (or any iterable), to the end of the current
list

index() Returns the index of the first element with the specified value

insert()
Adds an element at the specified position

pop() Removes the element at the specified position

remove() Removes the item with the specified value

reverse() Reverses the order of the list

sort() Sorts the list

Python List append() Method

❮ List Methods
ExampleGet your own Python Server

Add an element to the fruits list:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

fruits.append("orange")

Python List clear() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Remove all elements from the fruits list:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'orange']

fruits.clear()
.

Python List copy() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Copy the fruits list:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'orange']

x = fruits.copy()

Python List count() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Return the number of times the value "cherry" appears in the fruits list:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

x = fruits.count("cherry")

Python List extend() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Add the elements of cars to the fruits list:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

cars = ['Ford', 'BMW', 'Volvo']

fruits.extend(cars)

Python List index() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

What is the position of the value "cherry":

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

x = fruits.index("cherry")

Python List insert() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Insert the value "orange" as the second element of the fruit list:
fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

fruits.insert(1, "orange")

Python List pop() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Remove the second element of the fruit list:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

fruits.pop(1)

Python List remove() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Remove the "banana" element of the fruit list:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

fruits.remove("banana")

Python List reverse() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Reverse the order of the fruit list:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

fruits.reverse()
.
Python List sort() Method

❮ List Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Sort the list alphabetically:

cars = ['Ford', 'BMW', 'Volvo']

cars.sort()
Slicing

You can return a range of characters by using the slice syntax.

Specify the start index and the end index, separated by a colon, to return a part of the string.

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Get the characters from position 2 to position 5 (not included):

b = "Hello, World!"
print(b[2:5])

Python Tuple

mytuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

Tuple

Tuples are used to store multiple items in a single variable.

Tuple is one of 4 built-in data types in Python used to store collections of data, the other 3
are List, Set, and Dictionary, all with different qualities and usage.

A tuple is a collection which is ordered and unchangeable.

Tuples are written with round brackets.

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Create a Tuple:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

print(thistuple)
.
Tuple Items

Tuple items are ordered, unchangeable, and allow duplicate values.

Tuple items are indexed, the first item has index [0], the second item has index [1] etc.

Ordered

When we say that tuples are ordered, it means that the items have a defined order, and that order will
not change.

Unchangeable

Tuples are unchangeable, meaning that we cannot change, add or remove items after the tuple has
been created.

Allow Duplicates

Since tuples are indexed, they can have items with the same value:

Example

Tuples allow duplicate values:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry", "apple", "cherry")

print(thistuple)
.
Tuple Length

To determine how many items a tuple has, use the len() function:

Example

Print the number of items in the tuple:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")
print(len(thistuple))
.
Create Tuple With One Item

To create a tuple with only one item, you have to add a comma after the item, otherwise Python will
not recognize it as a tuple.

Example

One item tuple, remember the comma:

thistuple = ("apple",)
print(type(thistuple))

#NOT a tuple
thistuple = ("apple")
print(type(thistuple))
.
Tuple Items - Data Types

Tuple items can be of any data type:

Example

String, int and boolean data types:

tuple1 = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

tuple2 = (1, 5, 7, 9, 3)
tuple3 = (True, False, False)
.

A tuple can contain different data types:

Example

A tuple with strings, integers and boolean values:

tuple1 = ("abc", 34, True, 40, "male")

Tuple

Tuples are used to store multiple items in a single variable.

Tuple is one of 4 built-in data types in Python used to store collections of data, the other 3
are List, Set, and Dictionary, all with different qualities and usage.

A tuple is a collection which is ordered and unchangeable.

Tuples are written with round brackets.

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Create a Tuple:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

print(thistuple)
.
Tuple Items

Tuple items are ordered, unchangeable, and allow duplicate values.

Tuple items are indexed, the first item has index [0], the second item has index [1] etc.

Ordered

When we say that tuples are ordered, it means that the items have a defined order, and that order will
not change.

Unchangeable

Tuples are unchangeable, meaning that we cannot change, add or remove items after the tuple has
been created.

Allow Duplicates

Since tuples are indexed, they can have items with the same value:

Example

Tuples allow duplicate values:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry", "apple", "cherry")
print(thistuple)
.
Tuple Length

To determine how many items a tuple has, use the len() function:

Example

Print the number of items in the tuple:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

print(len(thistuple))
.
Create Tuple With One Item

To create a tuple with only one item, you have to add a comma after the item, otherwise Python will
not recognize it as a tuple.

Example

One item tuple, remember the comma:

thistuple = ("apple",)
print(type(thistuple))

#NOT a tuple
thistuple = ("apple")
print(type(thistuple))
.
Tuple Items - Data Types

Tuple items can be of any data type:

Example

String, int and boolean data types:

tuple1 = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")
tuple2 = (1, 5, 7, 9, 3)
tuple3 = (True, False, False)
.

A tuple can contain different data types:

Example

A tuple with strings, integers and boolean values:

tuple1 = ("abc", 34, True, 40, "male")

.
type()

From Python's perspective, tuples are defined as objects with the data type 'tuple':

<class 'tuple'>
Example

What is the data type of a tuple?

mytuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

print(type(mytuple))
.
The tuple() Constructor

It is also possible to use the tuple() constructor to make a tuple.

Example

Using the tuple() method to make a tuple:

thistuple = tuple(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) # note the double round-brackets

print(thistuple)
Access Tuple Items

You can access tuple items by referring to the index number, inside square brackets:
ExampleGet your own Python Server

Print the second item in the tuple:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

print(thistuple[1])
.

Note: The first item has index 0.

Negative Indexing

Negative indexing means start from the end.

-1 refers to the last item, -2 refers to the second last item etc.

Example

Print the last item of the tuple:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

print(thistuple[-1])
.

Range of Indexes

You can specify a range of indexes by specifying where to start and where to end the range.

When specifying a range, the return value will be a new tuple with the specified items.

Example

Return the third, fourth, and fifth item:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi", "melon", "mango")

print(thistuple[2:5])
.

Note: The search will start at index 2 (included) and end at index 5 (not included).
Remember that the first item has index 0.

By leaving out the start value, the range will start at the first item:

Example

This example returns the items from the beginning to, but NOT included, "kiwi":

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi", "melon", "mango")

print(thistuple[:4])
.

By leaving out the end value, the range will go on to the end of the list:

Example

This example returns the items from "cherry" and to the end:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi", "melon", "mango")

print(thistuple[2:])
.
Range of Negative Indexes

Specify negative indexes if you want to start the search from the end of the tuple:

Example

This example returns the items from index -4 (included) to index -1 (excluded)

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi", "melon", "mango")

print(thistuple[-4:-1])
.
Check if Item Exists

To determine if a specified item is present in a tuple use the in keyword:

Example

Check if "apple" is present in the tuple:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")
if "apple" in thistuple:
print("Yes, 'apple' is in the fruits tuple")
.

Python - Update Tuple

Tuples are unchangeable, meaning that you cannot change, add, or remove items once the tuple is
created.

But there are some workarounds.

Change Tuple Values

Once a tuple is created, you cannot change its values. Tuples are unchangeable, or immutable as it
also is called.

But there is a workaround. You can convert the tuple into a list, change the list, and convert the list
back into a tuple.

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Convert the tuple into a list to be able to change it:

x = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

y = list(x)
y[1] = "kiwi"
x = tuple(y)

print(x)
.
Add Items

Since tuples are immutable, they do not have a built-in append() method, but there are other ways to
add items to a tuple.

1. Convert into a list: Just like the workaround for changing a tuple, you can convert it into a list,
add your item(s), and convert it back into a tuple.

Example

Convert the tuple into a list, add "orange", and convert it back into a tuple:
thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")
y = list(thistuple)
y.append("orange")
thistuple = tuple(y)

2. Add tuple to a tuple. You are allowed to add tuples to tuples, so if you want to add one item, (or
many), create a new tuple with the item(s), and add it to the existing tuple:

Example

Create a new tuple with the value "orange", and add that tuple:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

y = ("orange",)
thistuple += y

print(thistuple)

Note: When creating a tuple with only one item, remember to include a comma after the item,
otherwise it will not be identified as a tuple.

Remove Items

Note: You cannot remove items in a tuple.

Tuples are unchangeable, so you cannot remove items from it, but you can use the same workaround
as we used for changing and adding tuple items:

Example

Convert the tuple into a list, remove "apple", and convert it back into a tuple:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

y = list(thistuple)
y.remove("apple")
thistuple = tuple(y)
.

Or you can delete the tuple completely:

Example

The del keyword can delete the tuple completely:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

del thistuple
print(thistuple) #this will raise an error because the tuple no longer exists
oop Through the Index Numbers

You can also loop through the tuple items by referring to their index number.

Use the range() and len() functions to create a suitable iterable.

Example

Print all items by referring to their index number:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

for i in range(len(thistuple)):
print(thistuple[i])

Using a While Loop

You can loop through the tuple items by using a while loop.

Use the len() function to determine the length of the tuple, then start at 0 and loop your way through
the tuple items by referring to their indexes.

Remember to increase the index by 1 after each iteration.

Example

Print all items, using a while loop to go through all the index numbers:

thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

i=0
while i < len(thistuple):
print(thistuple[i])
i=i+1
.

Python - Join Tuples

Join Two Tuples

To join two or more tuples you can use the + operator:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Join two tuples:

tuple1 = ("a", "b" , "c")

tuple2 = (1, 2, 3)

tuple3 = tuple1 + tuple2

print(tuple3)
.
Multiply Tuples

If you want to multiply the content of a tuple a given number of times, you can use the * operator:

Example

Multiply the fruits tuple by 2:

fruits = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

mytuple = fruits * 2

print(mytuple)

Python Dictionaries

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
 "model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}

Dictionary

Dictionaries are used to store data values in key:value pairs.

A dictionary is a collection which is ordered*, changeable and do not allow duplicates.

As of Python version 3.7, dictionaries are ordered. In Python 3.6 and earlier, dictionaries
are unordered.

Dictionaries are written with curly brackets, and have keys and values:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Create and print a dictionary:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
print(thisdict)

.
Dictionary Items

Dictionary items are ordered, changeable, and does not allow duplicates.

Dictionary items are presented in key:value pairs, and can be referred to by using the key name.

Example

Print the "brand" value of the dictionary:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
print(thisdict["brand"])

.
Ordered or Unordered?

As of Python version 3.7, dictionaries are ordered. In Python 3.6 and earlier, dictionaries
are unordered.

When we say that dictionaries are ordered, it means that the items have a defined order, and that
order will not change.

Unordered means that the items does not have a defined order, you cannot refer to an item by using
an index.

Changeable

Dictionaries are changeable, meaning that we can change, add or remove items after the dictionary
has been created.

Duplicates Not Allowed

Dictionaries cannot have two items with the same key:

Example

Duplicate values will overwrite existing values:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964,
"year": 2020
}
print(thisdict)

Dictionary Length

To determine how many items a dictionary has, use the len() function:
Example

Print the number of items in the dictionary:

print(len(thisdict))
.
Dictionary Items - Data Types

The values in dictionary items can be of any data type:

Example

String, int, boolean, and list data types:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"electric": False,
"year": 1964,
"colors": ["red", "white", "blue"]
}
.
type()

From Python's perspective, dictionaries are defined as objects with the data type 'dict':

<class 'dict'>
Example

Print the data type of a dictionary:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
print(type(thisdict))

The dict() Constructor

It is also possible to use the dict() constructor to make a dictionary.

Example

Using the dict() method to make a dictionary:

thisdict = dict(name = "John", age = 36, country = "Norway")

print(thisdict)
.

Accessing Items

You can access the items of a dictionary by referring to its key name, inside square brackets:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Get the value of the "model" key:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
x = thisdict["model"]

Change Values

You can change the value of a specific item by referring to its key name:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Change the "year" to 2018:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
thisdict["year"] = 2018

print(thisdict)

Update Dictionary

The update() method will update the dictionary with the items from the given argument.

The argument must be a dictionary, or an iterable object with key:value pairs.

Example

Update the "year" of the car by using the update() method:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
thisdict.update({"year": 2020})

print(thisdict)

Removing Items

There are several methods to remove items from a dictionary:

ExampleGet your own Python Server

The pop() method removes the item with the specified key name:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
 "year": 1964
}
thisdict.pop("model")
print(thisdict)

The popitem() method removes the last inserted item (in versions before 3.7, a random item is
removed instead):

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
thisdict.popitem()
print(thisdict)

The del keyword removes the item with the specified key name:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
del thisdict["model"]
print(thisdict)

The clear() method empties the dictionary:

thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
thisdict.clear()
print(thisdict)

Dictionary Methods
Python has a set of built-in methods that you can use on dictionaries.

Method Description

clear() Removes all the elements from the dictionary

copy() Returns a copy of the dictionary

fromkeys() Returns a dictionary with the specified keys and value

get() Returns the value of the specified key

items() Returns a list containing a tuple for each key value pair

keys() Returns a list containing the dictionary's keys

pop() Removes the element with the specified key

popitem() Removes the last inserted key-value pair

setdefault() Returns the value of the specified key. If the key does not exist: insert the
key, with the specified value
update() Updates the dictionary with the specified key-value pairs

values() Returns a list of all the values in the dictionary

Set

Sets are used to store multiple items in a single variable.

Set is one of 4 built-in data types in Python used to store collections of data, the other 3
are List, Tuple, and Dictionary, all with different qualities and usage.

A set is a collection which is unordered, unchangeable*, and unindexed.

Sets are written with curly brackets.

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Create a Set:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

print(thisset)
Access Items

You cannot access items in a set by referring to an index or a key.

But you can loop through the set items using a for loop, or ask if a specified value is present in a set,
by using the in keyword.

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Loop through the set, and print the values:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

for x in thisset:
print(x)
.
Example

Check if "banana" is present in the set:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

print("banana" in thisset)
Add Items

Once a set is created, you cannot change its items, but you can add new items.

To add one item to a set use the add() method.

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Add an item to a set, using the add() method:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

thisset.add("orange")

print(thisset)
.
Add Sets

To add items from another set into the current set, use the update() method.

Example

Add elements from tropical into thisset:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

tropical = {"pineapple", "mango", "papaya"}

thisset.update(tropical)

print(thisset)
Add Any Iterable
The object in the update() method does not have to be a set, it can be any iterable object (tuples, lists,
dictionaries etc.).

Example

Add elements of a list to at set:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

mylist = ["kiwi", "orange"]

thisset.update(mylist)

print(thisset)

Remove Item

To remove an item in a set, use the remove(), or the discard() method.

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Remove "banana" by using the remove() method:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

thisset.remove("banana")

print(thisset)

emove "banana" by using the discard() method:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

thisset.discard("banana")

print(thisset)

Remove a random item by using the pop() method:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

x = thisset.pop()

print(x)

print(thisset)
.

The clear() method empties the set:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

thisset.clear()

print(thisset)

The del keyword will delete the set completely:

thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

del thisset

print(thisset)

Python Set Methods

Python has a set of built-in methods that you can use on sets.

Method Description

add() Adds an element to the set

clear() Removes all the elements from the set

copy() Returns a copy of the set

difference() Returns a set containing the difference between two or more sets

difference_update() Removes the items in this set that are also included in another, specified

discard() Remove the specified item

intersection() Returns a set, that is the intersection of two or more sets

intersection_update() Removes the items in this set that are not present in other, specified set(

isdisjoint() Returns whether two sets have a intersection or not

issubset() Returns whether another set contains this set or not

issuperset() Returns whether this set contains another set or not

pop() Removes an element from the set

remove() Removes the specified element

symmetric_difference() Returns a set with the symmetric differences of two sets

symmetric_difference_update() inserts the symmetric differences from this set and another

union() Return a set containing the union of sets

update() Update the set with another set, or any other iterable

Python Set difference() Method

❮ Set Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Return a set that contains the items that only exist in set x, and not in set y:

x = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

y = {"google", "microsoft", "apple"}

z = x.difference(y)

print(z)
.

Python Set intersection() Method

❮ Set Methods
ExampleGet your own Python Server

Return a set that contains the items that exist in both set x, and set y:

x = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

y = {"google", "microsoft", "apple"}

z = x.intersection(y)

print(z)

Python Set isdisjoint() Method

❮ Set Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Return True if no items in set x is present in set y:

x = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

y = {"google", "microsoft", "facebook"}

z = x.isdisjoint(y)

print(z)
.
Definition and Usage

The isdisjoint() method returns True if none of the items are present in both sets, otherwise it returns
False.

Syntax
set.isdisjoint(set)

Python Set issubset() Method

❮ Set Methods
ExampleGet your own Python Server

Return True if all items in set x are present in set y:

x = {"a", "b", "c"}

y = {"f", "e", "d", "c", "b", "a"}

z = x.issubset(y)

print(z)
.
Definition and Usage

The issubset() method returns True if all items in the set exists in the specified set, otherwise it
returns False.

Syntax
set.issubset(set)

Python Set issuperset() Method

❮ Set Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Return True if all items set y are present in set x:

x = {"f", "e", "d", "c", "b", "a"}

y = {"a", "b", "c"}

z = x.issuperset(y)

print(z)
.
Definition and Usage
The issuperset() method returns True if all items in the specified set exists in the original set,
otherwise it returns False.

Syntax
set.issuperset(set)

Python Set union() Method

❮ Set Methods

ExampleGet your own Python Server

Return a set that contains all items from both sets, duplicates are excluded:

x = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

y = {"google", "microsoft", "apple"}

z = x.union(y)

print(z)
.
Definition and Usage

The union() method returns a set that contains all items from the original set, and all items from the
specified set(s).

You can specify as many sets you want, separated by commas.

It does not have to be a set, it can be any iterable object.

If an item is present in more than one set, the result will contain only one appearance of this item.

Syntax
set.union(set1, set2...)