Python Dictionary

Dictionary in Python is an unordered collection of data values, used to store data

values like a map, which, unlike other Data Types that hold only a single value as an
element, Dictionary holds key:value pair. Key-value is provided in the dictionary to
make it more optimized.

Note – Keys in a dictionary don’t allow Polymorphism.

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Creating a Dictionary

In Python, a Dictionary can be created by placing a sequence of elements within

curly {} braces, separated by ‘comma’. Dictionary holds pairs of values, one being the
Key and the other corresponding pair element being its Key:value. Values in a
dictionary can be of any data type and can be duplicated, whereas keys can’t be
repeated and must be immutable.

Note – Dictionary keys are case sensitive, the same name but different cases of Key
will be treated distinctly.

# Creating a Dictionary with Integer Keys

Dict = {1: 'Geeks', 2: 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}

print("\nDictionary with the use of Integer Keys: ")

print(Dict)

# Creating a Dictionary with Mixed keys

Dict = {'Name': 'Geeks', 1: [1, 2, 3, 4]}

print("\nDictionary with the use of Mixed Keys: ")

print(Dict)

Output:
Dictionary with the use of Integer Keys:
{1: 'Geeks', 2: 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}

Dictionary with the use of Mixed Keys:

{1: [1, 2, 3, 4], 'Name': 'Geeks'}

Dictionary can also be created by the built-in function dict(). An empty dictionary can
be created by just placing to curly braces{}.

# Creating an empty Dictionary

Dict = {}

print("Empty Dictionary: ")

print(Dict)

# Creating a Dictionary with dict() method

Dict = dict({1: 'Geeks', 2: 'For', 3:'Geeks'})

print("\nDictionary with the use of dict(): ")

print(Dict)

# Creating a Dictionary with each item as a Pair

Dict = dict([(1, 'Geeks'), (2, 'For')])

print("\nDictionary with each item as a pair: ")

print(Dict)

Output:
Empty Dictionary:
{}

Dictionary with the use of dict():

{1: 'Geeks', 2: 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}

Dictionary with each item as a pair:

{1: 'Geeks', 2: 'For'}
 Nested Dictionary:

# Creating a Nested Dictionary as shown in the

below image

Dict = {1: 'Geeks', 2: 'For',

3:{'A' : 'Welcome', 'B' : 'To', 'C' : 'Geeks'}}

print(Dict)

Output:

{1: 'Geeks', 2: 'For', 3: {'A': 'Welcome', 'B': 'To', 'C': 'Geeks'}}

Adding elements to a Dictionary

In Python Dictionary, the Addition of elements can be done in multiple ways. One
value at a time can be added to a Dictionary by defining value along with the key e.g.
Dict[Key] = ‘Value’. Updating an existing value in a Dictionary can be done by using
the built-in update() method. Nested key values can also be added to an existing
Dictionary.

Note- While adding a value, if the key-value already exists, the value gets updated
otherwise a new Key with the value is added to the Dictionary.

# Creating an empty Dictionary

Dict = {}

print("Empty Dictionary: ")

print(Dict)

# Adding elements one at a time

Dict[0] = 'Geeks'
Dict[2] = 'For'

Dict[3] = 1

print("\nDictionary after adding 3 elements: ")

print(Dict)

# Adding set of values to a single Key

Dict['Value_set'] = 2, 3, 4

print("\n Dictionary after adding 3 elements: ")

print(Dict)

# Updating existing Key's Value

Dict[2] = 'Welcome'

print("\nUpdated key value: ")

print(Dict)

# Adding Nested Key value to Dictionary

Dict[5] = {'Nested' :{'1' : 'Life', '2' : 'Geeks'}}

print("\nAdding a Nested Key: ")

print(Dict)

Output:
Empty Dictionary:
{}

Dictionary after adding 3 elements:

{0: 'Geeks', 2: 'For', 3: 1}

Dictionary after adding 3 elements:

{0: 'Geeks', 2: 'For', 3: 1, 'Value_set': (2, 3, 4)}

Updated key value:

{0: 'Geeks', 2: 'Welcome', 3: 1, 'Value_set': (2, 3, 4)}

Adding a Nested Key:

{0: 'Geeks', 2: 'Welcome', 3: 1, 5: {'Nested': {'1': 'Life', '2':
'Geeks'}}, 'Value_set': (2, 3, 4)}

Accessing elements from a Dictionary

In order to access the items of a dictionary refer to its key name. Key can be used
inside square brackets.

# Python program to demonstrate accessing a element from a

Dictionary

# Creating a Dictionary

Dict = {1: 'Geeks', 'name': 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}

# accessing a element using key

print("Accessing a element using key:")

print(Dict['name'])

# accessing a element using key

print("Accessing a element using key:")

print(Dict[1])

Output:
Accessing a element using key:
For

Accessing a element using key:

Geeks
There is also a method called get() that will also help in accessing the element from a
dictionary.

# Creating a Dictionary

Dict = {1: 'Geeks', 'name': 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}

# accessing a element using get() method

print("Accessing a element using get:")

print(Dict.get(3))

Output:
Accessing a element using get:
Geeks

Accessing an element of a nested dictionary

In order to access the value of any key in the nested dictionary, use indexing [] syntax.

# Creating a Dictionary

Dict = {'Dict1': {1: 'Geeks'},

'Dict2': {'Name': 'For'}}

# Accessing element using key

print(Dict['Dict1'])

print(Dict['Dict1'][1])

print(Dict['Dict2']['Name'])

Output:
{1: 'Geeks'}
Geeks
For

Removing Elements from Dictionary

Using del keyword

In Python Dictionary, deletion of keys can be done by using the del keyword. Using
the del keyword, specific values from a dictionary as well as the whole dictionary can
be deleted. Items in a Nested dictionary can also be deleted by using the del keyword
and providing a specific nested key and particular key to be deleted from that nested
Dictionary.

Note: The del Dict will delete the entire dictionary and hence printing it after deletion
will raise an Error.

# Initial Dictionary

Dict = { 5 : 'Welcome', 6 : 'To', 7 : 'Geeks',

'A' : {1 : 'Geeks', 2 : 'For', 3 : 'Geeks'},

'B' : {1 : 'Geeks', 2 : 'Life'}}

print("Initial Dictionary: ")

print(Dict)

# Deleting a Key value

del Dict[6]

print("\nDeleting a specific key: ")

print(Dict)

# Deleting a Key from Nested Dictionary

del Dict['A'][2]

print("\nDeleting a key from Nested Dictionary: ")

print(Dict)

Output:
Initial Dictionary:
{'A': {1: 'Geeks', 2: 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}, 'B': {1: 'Geeks', 2:
'Life'}, 5: 'Welcome', 6: 'To', 7: 'Geeks'}

Deleting a specific key:

{'A': {1: 'Geeks', 2: 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}, 'B': {1: 'Geeks', 2:
'Life'}, 5: 'Welcome', 7: 'Geeks'}

Deleting a key from Nested Dictionary:

{'A': {1: 'Geeks', 3: 'Geeks'}, 'B': {1: 'Geeks', 2: 'Life'}, 5:
'Welcome', 7: 'Geeks'}

Using pop() method

Pop() method is used to return and delete the value of the key specified.

# Creating a Dictionary

Dict = {1: 'Geeks', 'name': 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}

# Deleting a key using pop() method

pop_ele = Dict.pop(1)

print('\nDictionary after deletion: ' + str(Dict))

print('Value associated to poped key is: ' + str(pop_ele))

Output:
Dictionary after deletion: {3: 'Geeks', 'name': 'For'}
Value associated to poped key is: Geeks
Using popitem() method

The popitem() returns and removes an arbitrary element (key, value) pair from the
dictionary.

# Creating Dictionary

Dict = {1: 'Geeks', 'name': 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}

# Deleting an arbitrary key using popitem() function

pop_ele = Dict.popitem()

print("\nDictionary after deletion: " + str(Dict))

print("The arbitrary pair returned is: " + str(pop_ele))

Output:
Dictionary after deletion: {3: 'Geeks', 'name': 'For'}
The arbitrary pair returned is: (1, 'Geeks')

Using clear() method

All the items from a dictionary can be deleted at once by using clear() method.

# Creating a Dictionary

Dict = {1: 'Geeks', 'name': 'For', 3: 'Geeks'}

# Deleting entire Dictionary

Dict.clear()

print("\nDeleting Entire Dictionary: ")

print(Dict)

Output:
Deleting Entire Dictionary:
{}
 Dictionary Methods

Methods Description
They copy() method returns a shallow copy of the
dictionary.
copy()
The clear() method removes all items from the dictionary.
clear()
Removes and returns an element from a dictionary having
the given key.
pop()
Removes the arbitrary key-value pair from the dictionary
and returns it as tuple.
popitem()
It is a conventional method to access a value for a key.
get()
returns a list of all the values available in a given dictionary
dictionary_name.values() .
Produces a printable string representation of a dictionary.
str()
Adds dictionary dict2’s key-values pairs to dict
update()
Set dict[key]=default if key is not already in dict
setdefault()
Returns list of dictionary dict’s keys
keys()
Returns a list of dict’s (key, value) tuple pairs
items()
Returns true if key in dictionary dict, false otherwise
has_key()
Create a new dictionary with keys from seq and values set to
value.
fromkeys()
Returns the type of the passed variable.
type()
Compares elements of both dict.
cmp()