Add more examples and change description slightly.

* In place update of mutables.
* Modifying a list while iterating.
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Satwik Kansal 2017-08-30 00:40:21 +05:30
parent 4d66913bca
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> A collection of tricky Python examples
Python being an awesome higher level language, provides us many functionalities for our comfort. But sometimes, the outcomes may not seem obvious to a normal Python user at the first sight.
Python being an awesome higher level language, provides us many functionalities for programmer's comfort. But sometimes, the outcomes may not seem obvious to a normal Python user at the first sight.
Here's an attempt to collect such classic and tricky examples of unexpected behaviors in Python and see what exactly is happening under the hood! I find it a nice way to learn internals of a language and I think you'll like them as well!
Here's an attempt to collect such classic and tricky examples of unexpected behaviors in Python and see what exactly is happening under the hood! Anyways, I find it a nice way to learn internals of a language and I think you'll like them as well!
- If you're an beginner to intermdediate level Python programmer, I'd personally recommend you to go through all of the examples below, as being aware about such pitfalls may be able to save a lot of debugging time in your future.
- If you're an experienced Python programmer, you might be familiar with most of these examples, and I might be able to bring up some nice old memories of being bitten by the gotchas.
So, here ya go...
# Table of Contents
@ -61,6 +66,8 @@ Here's an attempt to collect such classic and tricky examples of unexpected beha
# 👀 Examples
**Environment:** All the examples mentioned below are run on Python 3.5.2 interactive interpreter unless explicitly specified.
## Example heading
One line of what's happening:
@ -771,6 +778,86 @@ class SomeClass:
- A generator expression has its own scope.
- Starting in 3.X, list comprehensions also have their own scope.
## In-place update functions of mutable object types
```py
some_list = [1, 2, 3]
some_dict = {
"key_1": 1,
"key_2": 2,
"key_3": 3
}
some_list = some_list.append(4)
some_dict = some_dict.update({"key_4": 4})
```
**Output:**
```py
>>> print(some_list)
None
>>> print(some_dict)
None
```
### Explaination
The functions like append
## Deleting a list item while iterating over it
```py
list_1 = [1, 2, 3, 4]
list_2 = [1, 2, 3, 4]
list_3 = [1, 2, 3, 4]
list_4 = [1, 2, 3, 4]
for idx, item in enumerate(list_1):
del item
for idx, item in enumerate(list_2):
list_2.remove(item)
for idx, item in enumerate(list_3[:]):
list_3.remove(item)
for idx, item in enumerate(list_4):
list_4.pop(idx)
```
**Output:**
```py
>>> list_1
[1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> list_2
[2, 4]
>>> list_3
[]
>>> list_4
[2, 4]
```
### Explanation
* Python does not support modifying a `list` while iterating over it. The correct way to do so is to iterate over a copy of the `list` instead, and `list_3[:]` does just that.
```py
>>> some_list = [1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> id(some_list)
139798789457608
>>> id(some_list[:]) # Notice that python creates new object for sliced list.
139798779601192
```
**Difference between `del`, `remove`, and `pop`:**
* `remove` removes the first matching value, not a specific index, raises `ValueError` if value is not found.
* `del` removes a specific index (That's why first `list_1` was unaffected), raises `IndexError` if invalid index is specified.
* `pop` removes element at specific index and returns it, raises `IndexError` if invalid index is specified.
* **Why the output is `[2, 4]`?** The list iteration is done index by index, and when we remove `1` from `list_2` or `list_4`, the contents of the lists are now `[2, 3, 4]`. Now `2` is at index 0 and `3` is at index 1. Since the next iteration is going to look at index 1 (which is the `3`), the `2` gets skipped entirely. Similar thing will happen with every alternate element in the list sequence.
## Minor ones
- `join()` is a string operation instead of list operation. (sort of counter-intuitive at first usage)
@ -839,6 +926,7 @@ The idea and design for this list is inspired from Denys Dovhan's awesome projec
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH4XF6pKKmk
* https://www.reddit.com/r/Python/comments/3cu6ej/what_are_some_wtf_things_about_python
* https://sopython.com/wiki/Common_Gotchas_In_Python
* https://stackoverflow.com/questions/530530/python-2-x-gotchas-and-landmines
# 🎓 License