Exploring Fascinating Features of Python

by

Python is one of the most popular programming languages due to its simplicity, readability, and versatility. It’s used across various fields like web development, data science, machine learning, automation, and more.

Let’s dive into some of the most intriguing aspects of Python that you might not know about!

List Comprehensions

Python’s list comprehensions offer a concise way to generate lists. They allow developers to write powerful, compact expressions.

squares = [x**2 for x in range(10)]

This single line is equivalent to:

squares = []
for x in range(10):
    squares.append(x**2)

You can even include conditions:

# List of squares of even numbers
squares = [x**2 for x in range(10) if x % 2 == 0]

This feature is highly optimized and preferred for readable and concise code.

The zip() Function

The zip() function allows you to iterate over multiple iterables in parallel. It pairs up elements from the provided iterables:

names = ["Alice", "Bob", "Charlie"]
ages = [25, 30, 35]

for name, age in zip(names, ages):
    print(f"{name} is {age} years old.")

# Output:
# Alice is 25 years old.
# Bob is 30 years old.
# Charlie is 35 years old.

Different length

a = ("John", "Charles", "Mike","Vicky")
b = ("Jenny", "Christy", "Monica")

x = zip(a, b)


print(list(x)) 

#[('John', 'Jenny'), ('Charles', 'Christy'), ('Mike', 'Monica')]

It’s handy when you need to work with multiple lists or tuples and want to process corresponding elements together.

Python’s else in Loops

An often-overlooked feature of Python is the else clause that can be used in loops. The else block after a for or while loop will only be executed if the loop completes normally (i.e., no break statement is encountered).

for num in range(10):
    if num == 50:
        break
else:
    print("Loop completed without break") 

# Loop completed without break

Lambda, Map, Filter

Refer

Slicing (::)

In Python,:: is used for slicing lists and other sequences. It allows you to specify a step value in addition to the start and stop indices. Here’s the general syntax:

sequence[start:stop:step]
  • start is the index where the slice begins (inclusive).
  • stop is the index where the slice ends (exclusive).
  • step is the stride or step size between each element in the slice.

If you leave out start and stop but include the step, it will slice the whole sequence with the specified step.

lst = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

print(lst[::2])  # Output: [0, 2, 4, 6, 8]
print(lst[1:7:2])  # Output: [1, 3, 5]
print(lst[::-1])  # Output: [9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0]
print(lst[::1])  # Output: [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Reversing a sequence:

reversed_sequence = sequence[::-1]

How it works?

  • When you omit start and stop, the slice covers the entire sequence.
  • By specifying a step of -1, you’re telling Python to move backwards through the sequence, starting from the end and ending at the beginning.

Example

text = "hello"
reversed_text = text[::-1]

print(reversed_text)  # Output: "olleh"
#Tuple Reversaltpl = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
reversed_tpl = tpl[::-1]

print(reversed_tpl)  # Output: (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)
# Interger reversal

n = 1234
print(int(str(n)[::-1])) #4321

Note

  • When start and stop are omitted, the slice defaults to covering the entire sequence.
  • Step of -1: The -1 step means the slice will take elements in reverse order.

Deep and shallow copy

A shallow copy creates a new object that stores the reference of the original elements.

Conclusion

Python’s simplicity hides a wealth of interesting features that make it a powerful language for both beginners and experienced programmers. Features like dynamic typing, list comprehensions, lambda functions, generators, and f-strings offer elegant solutions to common programming tasks. As you explore Python further, you’ll discover even more nuances that make it an incredibly versatile and enjoyable language to work with!

Leave a Comment