Hi Reader, There's a gift for you somewhere in this email... just look for the π emoji! π Tip #39: Six quick Python tricksHere's what I'll cover below:
Let's get started! π 1οΈβ£ Return the number of unique values Need to know the number of unique values in an iterable? Convert it to a set and check the length: A set is a collection of values (like a list), except it can't contain any duplicate values: You can use this trick with any iterable, including strings: 2οΈβ£ Count values with Counter Need to know how many times each letter appears? Use the Counter class: Counter objects act like dictionaries, which means that if we want to know how many times 'a' appears, we pass it the 'a' key: Counters have useful methods like most_common, which returns the specified number of most common values: 3οΈβ£ Better debugging with f-strings You've probably used f-strings for substitution: But f-strings can also help with debugging! Normally you might print out variables within a function to check that it's working as expected: But with self-documenting expressions (new in Python 3.8), the output is more useful: The secret is to end each replacement field with an equals sign! 4οΈβ£ Return multiple values from a function Let's say that your function needs to return multiple values: The function returns a tuple: But if you want those return values as separate objects, you can use multiple assignment (also known as tuple unpacking): 5οΈβ£ Count while looping Let's say that you need to loop through a list: Sometimes you need to keep track of the index while looping. Don't do this: Use enumerate instead, which keeps track of the index for you: It actually generates a tuple, which we're unpacking into i and word! 6οΈβ£ Create a dictionary with a comprehension List comprehensions are useful all over the place in Python: By slightly tweaking the syntax, you can write a dictionary comprehension instead: π Going furtherMany of these tricks are taken from my online course, Python Essentials for Data Scientists:
π Just for fun, I'm giving readers of Tuesday Tips a 25% discount on this course for the next week. Use code TUESDAY25 at checkout! π π Until next timeDid you like this weekβs tip? Please send it to a friend or share this link on social. It really helps me out! π See you next Tuesday! - Kevin P.S. Uber's new "Save with Ads" option (parody) π Did someone AWESOME forward you this email? Sign up here to receive Data Science tips every week! |
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