Python W3 School

What is Python?
Python is a popular programming language. It was created by Guido van Rossum, and
released in 1991.
It is used for:
 web development (server-side),

 software development,
 mathematics,
 system scripting.
What can Python do?

 Python can be used on a server to create web applications.
 Python can be used alongside software to create workflows.
 Python can connect to database systems. It can also read and modify files.
 Python can be used to handle big data and perform complex mathematics.
 Python can be used for rapid prototyping, or for production-ready software
development.
Why Python?
 Python works on different platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, etc).
 Python has a simple syntax similar to the English language.
 Python has syntax that allows developers to write programs with fewer lines
than some other programming languages.
 Python runs on an interpreter system, meaning that code can be executed as
soon as it is written. This means that prototyping can be very quick.
 Python can be treated in a procedural way, an object-orientated way or a
functional way.
Good to know
 The most recent major version of Python is Python 3, which we shall be using in
this tutorial. However, Python 2, although not being updated with anything
other than security updates, is still quite popular.
 In this tutorial Python will be written in a text editor. It is possible to write
Python in an Integrated Development Environment, such as Thonny, Pycharm,
Netbeans or Eclipse which are particularly useful when managing larger
collections of Python files.
Python Syntax compared to other programming languages

 Python was designed for readability, and has some similarities to the English
language with influence from mathematics.
 Python uses new lines to complete a command, as opposed to other
programming languages which often use semicolons or parentheses.
 Python relies on indentation, using whitespace, to define scope; such as the
scope of loops, functions and classes. Other programming languages often use
curly-brackets for this purpose.
Python Install
Many PCs and Macs will have python already installed.
To check if you have python installed on a Windows PC, search in the start bar for
Python or run the following on the Command Line (cmd.exe):
C:\Users\Your Name>python --version
To check if you have python installed on a Linux or Mac, then on linux open the
command line or on Mac open the Terminal and type:
python --version
If you find that you do not have python installed on your computer, then you can
download it for free from the following website: https://www.python.org/
Python Quickstart
Python is an interpreted programming language, this means that as a developer you
write Python (.py) files in a text editor and then put those files into the python
interpreter to be executed.
The way to run a python file is like this on the command line:
C:\Users\Your Name>python helloworld.py
Where "helloworld.py" is the name of your python file.
Let's write our first Python file, called helloworld.py, which can be done in any text
editor.
helloworld.py
print("Hello, World!")
Simple as that. Save your file. Open your command line, navigate to the directory
where you saved your file, and run:
C:\Users\Your Name>python helloworld.py
The output should read:
Hello, World!
Congratulations, you have written and executed your first Python program.
The Python Command Line

To test a short amount of code in python sometimes it is quickest and easiest not to
write the code in a file. This is made possible because Python can be run as a
command line itself.
Type the following on the Windows, Mac or Linux command line:
C:\Users\Your Name>python
Or, if the "python" command did not work, you can try "py":
C:\Users\Your Name>py
From there you can write any python, including our hello world example from earlier
in the tutorial:
Python 3.6.4 (v3.6.4:d48eceb, Dec 19 2017, 06:04:45) [MSC v.1900 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> print("Hello, World!")
Which will write "Hello, World!" in the command line:
Python 3.6.4 (v3.6.4:d48eceb, Dec 19 2017, 06:04:45) [MSC v.1900 32 bit
(Intel)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
Hello, World!
Whenever you are done in the python command line, you can simply type the
following to quit the python command line interface:
exit()
Execute Python Syntax
As we learned in the previous page, Python syntax can be executed by writing directly
in the Command Line:

Hello, World!
Or by creating a python file on the server, using the .py file extension, and running it
in the Command Line:
C:\Users\Your Name>python myfile.py
Python Indentation
Indentation refers to the spaces at the beginning of a code line.
Where in other programming languages the indentation in code is for readability only,
the indentation in Python is very important.
Python uses indentation to indicate a block of code.
Example
if 5 > 2:
print("Five is greater than two!")
Python will give you an error if you skip the indentation:
Example
Syntax Error:
if 5 > 2:
The number of spaces is up to you as a programmer, but it has to be at least one.
Example
if 5 > 2:
if 5 > 2:
You have to use the same number of spaces in the same block of code, otherwise
Python will give you an error:
Example
Syntax Error:
if 5 > 2:
Python Variables
In Python variables are created the moment you assign a value to it:
Example
Variables in Python:
x = 5
y = "Hello, World!"
Python has no command for declaring a variable.
You will learn more about variables in the Python Variables chapter.
Comments
Python has commenting capability for the purpose of in-code documentation.
Comments start with a #, and Python will render the rest of the line as a comment:
Example
Comments in Python:
#This is a comment.
Python Comments
Comments can be used to explain Python code.
Comments can be used to make the code more readable.
Comments can be used to prevent execution when testing code.
Creating a Comment
Comments starts with a #, and Python will ignore them:
Example
#This is a comment
Comments can be placed at the end of a line, and Python will ignore the rest of the
line:
Example
print("Hello, World!") #This is a comment
Comments does not have to be text to explain the code, it can also be used to
prevent Python from executing code:
Example
#print("Hello, World!")
print("Cheers, Mate!")
Multi Line Comments

Python does not really have a syntax for multi line comments.
To add a multiline comment you could insert a # for each line:
Example
#This is a comment
#written in
#more than just one line
Or, not quite as intended, you can use a multiline string.
Since Python will ignore string literals that are not assigned to a variable, you can add
a multiline string (triple quotes) in your code, and place your comment inside it:
Example
"""
This is a comment
written in
more than just one line
"""
As long as the string is not assigned to a variable, Python will read the code, but then
ignore it, and you have made a multiline comment.
Python Variables
Creating Variables
Variables are containers for storing data values.
Unlike other programming languages, Python has no command for declaring a

variable.
A variable is created the moment you first assign a value to it.
Example
x = 5
y = "John"
print(x)
print(y)
Variables do not need to be declared with any particular type and can even change
type after they have been set.
Example
x = 4 # x is of type int
x = "Sally" # x is now of type str
print(x)
String variables can be declared either by using single or double quotes:
Example
x = "John"
# is the same as
x = 'John'
Variable Names
A variable can have a short name (like x and y) or a more descriptive name (age,
carname, total_volume). Rules for Python variables:
 A variable name must start with a letter or the underscore character

 A variable name cannot start with a number
 A variable name can only contain alpha-numeric characters and underscores (A-
z, 0-9, and _ )
 Variable names are case-sensitive (age, Age and AGE are three different
variables)
Remember that variable names are case-sensitive
Assign Value to Multiple Variables

Python allows you to assign values to multiple variables in one line:
Example
x, y, z = "Orange", "Banana", "Cherry"
print(x)
print(y)
print(z)
And you can assign the same value to multiple variables in one line:
Example
x = y = z = "Orange"
print(x)
print(y)
print(z)
Output Variables
The Python print statement is often used to output variables.
To combine both text and a variable, Python uses the + character:
Example
x = "awesome"
print("Python is " + x)
You can also use the + character to add a variable to another variable:
Example
x = "Python is "
y = "awesome"
z = x + y
print(z)
For numbers, the + character works as a mathematical operator:
Example
x = 5
y = 10
print(x + y)
If you try to combine a string and a number, Python will give you an error:
Example
x = 5
y = "John"
print(x + y)
Global Variables
Variables that are created outside of a function (as in all of the examples above) are
known as global variables.
Global variables can be used by everyone, both inside of functions and outside.
Example
Create a variable outside of a function, and use it inside the function
x = "awesome"
def myfunc():
myfunc()
If you create a variable with the same name inside a function, this variable will be
local, and can only be used inside the function. The global variable with the same
name will remain as it was, global and with the original value.
Example
Create a variable inside a function, with the same name as the global variable
x = "awesome"
def myfunc():
x = "fantastic"
myfunc()
The global Keyword

Normally, when you create a variable inside a function, that variable is local, and can
only be used inside that function.
To create a global variable inside a function, you can use the global keyword.
Example
If you use the global keyword, the variable belongs to the global scope:
def myfunc():
global x
x = "fantastic"
myfunc()
Also, use the global keyword if you want to change a global variable inside a function.
Example
To change the value of a global variable inside a function, refer to the variable by
using the global keyword:
x = "awesome"
def myfunc():
global x
x = "fantastic"
myfunc()
Python Data Types
Built-in Data Types

In programming, data type is an important concept.
Variables can store data of different types, and different types can do different things.
Python has the following data types built-in by default, in these categories:
Text Type: str
Numeric Types: int, float, complex
Sequence Types: list, tuple, range
Mapping Type: dict
Set Types: set, frozenset
Boolean Type: bool
Binary Types: bytes, bytearray, memoryview
Getting the Data Type

You can get the data type of any object by using the type() function:
Example
Print the data type of the variable x:
x = 5
print(type(x))
Setting the Data Type

In Python, the data type is set when you assign a value to a variable:
Example Data Type Try it

x = "Hello World" str Try it »
x = 20 int Try it »
x = 20.5 float Try it »
x = 1j complex Try it »
x = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"] list Try it »
x = ("apple", "banana", "cherry") tuple Try it »
x = range(6) range Try it »
x = {"name" : "John", "age" : 36} dict Try it »
x = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"} set Try it »
x = frozenset({"apple", "banana", "cherry"}) frozenset Try it »
x = True bool Try it »
x = b"Hello" bytes Try it »

x = bytearray(5) bytearray Try it »
x = memoryview(bytes(5)) memoryview Try it »
Setting the Specific Data Type

If you want to specify the data type, you can use the following constructor functions:
Example Data Type Try it
x = str("Hello World") str Try it »
x = int(20) int Try it »
x = float(20.5) float Try it »
x = complex(1j) complex Try it »
x = list(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) list Try it »
x = tuple(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) tuple Try it »

x = range(6) range Try it »
x = dict(name="John", age=36) dict Try it »
x = set(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) set Try it »
x = frozenset(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) frozenset Try it »
x = bool(5) bool Try it »
x = bytes(5) bytes Try it »
x = bytearray(5) bytearray Try it »
x = memoryview(bytes(5)) memoryview Try it »
Python Numbers
Python Numbers
There are three numeric types in Python:
 int
 float
 complex
Variables of numeric types are created when you assign a value to them:
Example
x = 1 # int
y = 2.8 # float
z = 1j # complex
To verify the type of any object in Python, use the type() function:
Example
print(type(x))
print(type(y))
print(type(z))
Int
Int, or integer, is a whole number, positive or negative, without decimals, of unlimited
length.
Example
Integers:
x = 1
y = 35656222554887711
z = -3255522
print(type(x))
print(type(y))
print(type(z))
Float
Float, or "floating point number" is a number, positive or negative, containing one or
more decimals.
Example
Floats:
x = 1.10
y = 1.0
z = -35.59
print(type(x))
print(type(y))
print(type(z))
Float can also be scientific numbers with an "e" to indicate the power of 10.
Example
Floats:
x = 35e3
y = 12E4
z = -87.7e100
print(type(x))
print(type(y))
print(type(z))
Complex
Complex numbers are written with a "j" as the imaginary part:
Example
Complex:
x = 3+5j
y = 5j
z = -5j
print(type(x))
print(type(y))
print(type(z))
Type Conversion
You can convert from one type to another with the int(), float(),
and complex() methods:
Example
Convert from one type to another:
x = 1 # int
y = 2.8 # float
z = 1j # complex
#convert from int to float:

a = float(x)
#convert from float to int:

b = int(y)
#convert from int to complex:

c = complex(x)
print(a)
print(b)
print(c)
print(type(a))
print(type(b))
print(type(c))
Note: You cannot convert complex numbers into another number type.
Random Number
Python does not have a random() function to make a random number, but Python has
a built-in module called random that can be used to make random numbers:
Example
Import the random module, and display a random number between 1 and 9:
import random
print(random.randrange(1,10))
In our Random Module Reference you will learn more about the Random module.
Python Casting
Specify a Variable Type

There may be times when you want to specify a type on to a variable. This can be
done with casting. Python is an object-orientated language, and as such it uses
classes to define data types, including its primitive types.
Casting in python is therefore done using constructor functions:
 int() - constructs an integer number from an integer literal, a float literal (by
rounding down to the previous whole number), or a string literal (providing the
string represents a whole number)
 float() - constructs a float number from an integer literal, a float literal or a
string literal (providing the string represents a float or an integer)
 str() - constructs a string from a wide variety of data types, including strings,
integer literals and float literals
Example
Integers:
x = int(1) # x will be 1
y = int(2.8) # y will be 2
z = int("3") # z will be 3
Example
Floats:
x = float(1) # x will be 1.0

y = float(2.8) # y will be 2.8
z = float("3") # z will be 3.0
w = float("4.2") # w will be 4.2
Example
Strings:
x = str("s1") # x will be 's1'

y = str(2) # y will be '2'
z = str(3.0) # z will be '3.0'
Python Strings
String Literals
String literals in python are surrounded by either single quotation marks, or double
quotation marks.
'hello' is the same as "hello".
You can display a string literal with the print() function:
Example
print("Hello")
print('Hello')
Assign String to a Variable

Assigning a string to a variable is done with the variable name followed by an equal
sign and the string:
Example
a = "Hello"
print(a)
Multiline Strings
You can assign a multiline string to a variable by using three quotes:
Example
You can use three double quotes:
a = """Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,

consectetur adipiscing elit,
sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt
ut labore et dolore magna aliqua."""
print(a)
Or three single quotes:
Example
a = '''Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipiscing elit,
sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt
ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.'''
print(a)
Note: in the result, the line breaks are inserted at the same position as in the code.
Strings are Arrays

Like many other popular programming languages, strings in Python are arrays of
bytes representing unicode characters.
However, Python does not have a character data type, a single character is simply a
string with a length of 1.
Square brackets can be used to access elements of the string.
Example
Get the character at position 1 (remember that the first character has the position 0):
a = "Hello, World!"
print(a[1])
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.
Example
Get the characters from position 2 to position 5 (not included):
b = "Hello, World!"
print(b[2:5])
Negative Indexing
Use negative indexes to start the slice from the end of the string:
Example
Get the characters from position 5 to position 1, starting the count from the end of
the string:
b = "Hello, World!"
print(b[-5:-2])
String Length
To get the length of a string, use the len() function.
Example
The len() function returns the length of a string:
a = "Hello, World!"
print(len(a))
String Methods
Python has a set of built-in methods that you can use on strings.
Example
The strip() method removes any whitespace from the beginning or the end:
a = " Hello, World! "

print(a.strip()) # returns "Hello, World!"
Example
The lower() method returns the string in lower case:
a = "Hello, World!"
print(a.lower())
Example
The upper() method returns the string in upper case:
a = "Hello, World!"
print(a.upper())
Example
The replace() method replaces a string with another string:
a = "Hello, World!"
print(a.replace("H", "J"))
Example
The split() method splits the string into substrings if it finds instances of the
separator:
a = "Hello, World!"
print(a.split(",")) # returns ['Hello', ' World!']
Learn more about String Methods with our String Methods Reference
Check String
To check if a certain phrase or character is present in a string, we can use the
keywords in or not in.
Example
Check if the phrase "ain" is present in the following text:
txt = "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain"

x = "ain" in txt
print(x)
Example
Check if the phrase "ain" is NOT present in the following text:
txt = "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain"
x = "ain" not in txt
print(x)
String Concatenation
To concatenate, or combine, two strings you can use the + operator.
Example
Merge variable a with variable b into variable c:
a = "Hello"
b = "World"
c = a + b
print(c)
Example
To add a space between them, add a " ":
a = "Hello"
b = "World"
c = a + " " + b
print(c)
String Format
As we learned in the Python Variables chapter, we cannot combine strings and
numbers like this:
Example
age = 36
txt = "My name is John, I am " + age
print(txt)
But we can combine strings and numbers by using the format() method!
The format() method takes the passed arguments, formats them, and places them in
the string where the placeholders {} are:
Example
Use the format() method to insert numbers into strings:
age = 36
txt = "My name is John, and I am {}"
print(txt.format(age))
The format() method takes unlimited number of arguments, and are placed into the
respective placeholders:
Example
quantity = 3
itemno = 567
price = 49.95
myorder = "I want {} pieces of item {} for {} dollars."
print(myorder.format(quantity, itemno, price))
You can use index numbers {0} to be sure the arguments are placed in the correct
placeholders:
Example
quantity = 3
itemno = 567
price = 49.95
myorder = "I want to pay {2} dollars for {0} pieces of item {1}."
Escape Character
To insert characters that are illegal in a string, use an escape character.
An escape character is a backslash \ followed by the character you want to insert.
An example of an illegal character is a double quote inside a string that is surrounded

by double quotes:
Example
You will get an error if you use double quotes inside a string that is surrounded by
double quotes:
txt = "We are the so-called "Vikings" from the north."

To fix this problem, use the escape character \":
Example
The escape character allows you to use double quotes when you normally would not
be allowed:
txt = "We are the so-called \"Vikings\" from the north."
Other escape characters used in Python:
Code Result Try it
\' Single Quote Try it »
\\ Backslash Try it »
\n New Line Try it »
\r Carriage Return Try it »
\t Tab Try it »
\b Backspace Try it »
\f Form Feed
\ooo Octal value Try it »
\xhh Hex value Try it »
String Methods
Note: All string methods returns new values. They do not change the original string.
Method Description
capitalize() Converts the first character to upper case
casefold() Converts string into lower case
center() Returns a centered string
count() Returns the number of times a specified value occurs in a string
encode() Returns an encoded version of the string
endswith() Returns true if the string ends with the specified value
expandtabs() Sets the tab size of the string
find() Searches the string for a specified value and returns the position of where it was found
format() Formats specified values in a string
format_map() Formats specified values in a string
index() Searches the string for a specified value and returns the position of where it was found
isalnum() Returns True if all characters in the string are alphanumeric
isalpha() Returns True if all characters in the string are in the alphabet
isdecimal() Returns True if all characters in the string are decimals
isdigit() Returns True if all characters in the string are digits
isidentifier() Returns True if the string is an identifier
islower() Returns True if all characters in the string are lower case
isnumeric() Returns True if all characters in the string are numeric

isprintable() Returns True if all characters in the string are printable
isspace() Returns True if all characters in the string are whitespaces
istitle() Returns True if the string follows the rules of a title
isupper() Returns True if all characters in the string are upper case
join() Joins the elements of an iterable to the end of the string
ljust() Returns a left justified version of the string
lower() Converts a string into lower case
lstrip() Returns a left trim version of the string
maketrans() Returns a translation table to be used in translations
partition() Returns a tuple where the string is parted into three parts
replace() Returns a string where a specified value is replaced with a specified value
rfind() Searches the string for a specified value and returns the last position of where it was
found
rindex() Searches the string for a specified value and returns the last position of where it was
found
rjust() Returns a right justified version of the string
rpartition() Returns a tuple where the string is parted into three parts
rsplit() Splits the string at the specified separator, and returns a list
rstrip() Returns a right trim version of the string
split() Splits the string at the specified separator, and returns a list
splitlines() Splits the string at line breaks and returns a list
startswith() Returns true if the string starts with the specified value
strip() Returns a trimmed version of the string
swapcase() Swaps cases, lower case becomes upper case and vice versa
title() Converts the first character of each word to upper case
translate() Returns a translated string

upper() Converts a string into upper case
zfill() Fills the string with a specified number of 0 values at the beginning
Test Yourself With Exercises

Exercise:
Use the len method to print the length of the string.
x = "Hello World"
print( )
Submit Answer »
Start the Exercise
Python Booleans
Booleans represent one of two values: True or False.
Boolean Values
In programming you often need to know if an expression is True or False.
You can evaluate any expression in Python, and get one of two answers, True or False.
When you compare two values, the expression is evaluated and Python returns the
Boolean answer:
Example
print(10 > 9)
print(10 == 9)
print(10 < 9)
When you run a condition in an if statement, Python returns True or False:
Example
Print a message based on whether the condition is True or False:
a = 200
b = 33
if b > a:
print("b is greater than a")
else:
print("b is not greater than a")
Evaluate Values and Variables

The bool() function allows you to evaluate any value, and give you True or False in
return,
Example
Evaluate a string and a number:
print(bool("Hello"))
print(bool(15))
Example
Evaluate two variables:
x = "Hello"
y = 15
print(bool(x))
print(bool(y))
Most Values are True
Almost any value is evaluated to True if it has some sort of content.
Any string is True, except empty strings.
Any number is True, except 0.
Any list, tuple, set, and dictionary are True, except empty ones.
Example
The following will return True:
bool("abc")
bool(123)
bool(["apple", "cherry", "banana"])
Some Values are False

In fact, there are not many values that evaluates to False, except empty values, such
as (), [], {}, "", the number 0, and the value None. And of course the
value False evaluates to False.
Example
The following will return False:
bool(False)
bool(None)
bool(0)
bool("")
bool(())
bool([])
bool({})
One more value, or object in this case, evaluates to False, and that is if you have an
objects that are made from a class with a __len__ function that returns 0 or False:
Example
class myclass():
def __len__(self):
return 0
myobj = myclass()
print(bool(myobj))
Functions can Return a Boolean

Python also has many built-in functions that returns a boolean value, like
the isinstance() function, which can be used to determine if an object is of a certain
data type:
Example
Check if an object is an integer or not:
x = 200
print(isinstance(x, int))
Python Operators
Python Operators
Operators are used to perform operations on variables and values.
Python divides the operators in the following groups:
 Arithmetic operators
 Assignment operators
 Comparison operators
 Logical operators
 Identity operators
 Membership operators
 Bitwise operators
Python Arithmetic Operators
Arithmetic operators are used with numeric values to perform common mathematical
operations:
Operator Name Example Try it
+ Addition x+y Try it »
- Subtraction x-y Try it »
* Multiplication x*y Try it »
/ Division x/y Try it »
% Modulus x%y Try it »
** Exponentiation x ** y Try it »
// Floor division x // y Try it »

Python Assignment Operators
Assignment operators are used to assign values to variables:
Operator Example Same As Try it
= x=5 x=5 Try it »
+= x += 3 x=x+3 Try it »
-= x -= 3 x=x-3 Try it »
*= x *= 3 x=x*3 Try it »
/= x /= 3 x=x/3 Try it »
%= x %= 3 x=x%3 Try it »
//= x //= 3 x = x // 3 Try it »
**= x **= 3 x = x ** 3 Try it »
&= x &= 3 x=x&3 Try it »
|= x |= 3 x=x|3 Try it »
^= x ^= 3 x=x^3 Try it »
>>= x >>= 3 x = x >> 3 Try it »
<<= x <<= 3 x = x << 3 Try it »
Python Comparison Operators

Comparison operators are used to compare two values:
Operator Name Example Try it
== Equal x == y Try it »
!= Not equal x != y Try it »
> Greater than x>y Try it »

< Less than x<y Try it »
>= Greater than or equal to x >= y Try it »
<= Less than or equal to x <= y Try it »
Python Logical Operators

Logical operators are used to combine conditional statements:
Operator Description Example Try it
and Returns True if both statements are x < 5 and x < 10 Try it »
true
or Returns True if one of the statements x < 5 or x < 4 Try it »

is true
not Reverse the result, returns False if not(x < 5 and x < 10) Try it »
the result is true
Python Identity Operators
Identity operators are used to compare the objects, not if they are equal, but if they
are actually the same object, with the same memory location:
is Returns true if both variables are the x is y Try it »

same object
is not Returns true if both variables are not the x is not y Try it »
same object
Python Membership Operators

Membership operators are used to test if a sequence is presented in an object:
in Returns True if a sequence with x in y Try it »

the specified value is present in
the object
not in Returns True if a sequence with x not in y Try it »

the specified value is not present
in the object
Python Bitwise Operators

Bitwise operators are used to compare (binary) numbers:
Operator Name Description
& AND Sets each bit to 1 if both bits are 1
| OR Sets each bit to 1 if one of two bits is 1
^ XOR Sets each bit to 1 if only one of two bits is 1
~ NOT Inverts all the bits
<< Zero fill left Shift left by pushing zeros in from the right and let the
shift leftmost bits fall off
>> Signed right Shift right by pushing copies of the leftmost bit in from
shift the left, and let the rightmost bits fall off
Python Lists
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 and unindexed. No duplicate members.
 Dictionary is a collection which is unordered, changeable and indexed. No
duplicate members.
When choosing a collection type, it is useful to understand the properties of that type.
Choosing the right type for a particular data set could mean retention of meaning,
and, it could mean an increase in efficiency or security.
List
A list is a collection which is ordered and changeable. In Python lists are written with
square brackets.
Example
Create a List:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

print(thislist)
Access Items
You access the list items by referring to the index number:
Example
Print the second item of the list:

print(thislist[1])
Negative Indexing
Negative indexing means beginning 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:

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 "orange":

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" and to the end:

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 index -4 (included) to index -1 (excluded)

print(thislist[-4:-1])
Change Item Value
To change the value of a specific item, refer to the index number:
Example
Change the second item:

thislist[1] = "blackcurrant"
print(thislist)
Loop Through a List

You can loop through the list items by using a for loop:
Example
Print all items in the list, one by one:

for x in thislist:
print(x)
You will learn more about for loops in our Python For Loops Chapter.
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:

if "apple" in thislist:
print("Yes, 'apple' is in the fruits list")
List Length
To determine how many items a list has, use the len() function:
Example
Print the number of items in the list:

print(len(thislist))
Add Items
To add an item to the end of the list, use the append() method:
Example
Using the append() method to append an item:

thislist.append("orange")
print(thislist)
To add an item at the specified index, use the insert() method:
Example
Insert an item as the second position:

thislist.insert(1, "orange")
print(thislist)
Remove Item
There are several methods to remove items from a list:
Example
The remove() method removes the specified item:
thislist.remove("banana")
print(thislist)
Example
The pop() method removes the specified index, (or the last item if index is not
specified):

thislist.pop()
print(thislist)
Example
The del keyword removes the specified index:

del thislist[0]
print(thislist)
Example
The del keyword can also delete the list completely:

del thislist
Example
The clear() method empties the list:

thislist.clear()
print(thislist)
Copy a List
You cannot copy a list simply by typing list2 = list1, because: list2 will only be
a reference to list1, and changes made in list1 will automatically also be made
in list2.
There are ways to make a copy, one way is to use the built-in List method copy().
Example
Make a copy of a list with the copy() method:
mylist = thislist.copy()
print(mylist)
Another way to make a copy is to use the built-in method list().
Example
Make a copy of a list with the list() method:

mylist = list(thislist)
print(mylist)
Join Two Lists

There are several ways to join, or concatenate, two or more lists in Python.
One of the easiest ways are by using the + operator.
Example
Join two list:
list1 = ["a", "b" , "c"]

list2 = [1, 2, 3]
list3 = list1 + list2

print(list3)
Another way to join two lists are by appending all the items from list2 into list1, one
by one:
Example
Append list2 into list1:
list1 = ["a", "b" , "c"]

list2 = [1, 2, 3]
for x in list2:
list1.append(x)
print(list1)
Or you can use the extend() method, which purpose is to add elements from one list to
another list:
Example
Use the extend() method to add list2 at the end of list1:
list1 = ["a", "b" , "c"]

list2 = [1, 2, 3]
list1.extend(list2)
print(list1)
The list() Constructor

It is also possible to use the list() constructor to make a new list.
Example
Using the list() constructor to make a List:
thislist = list(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) # note the double round-brackets

print(thislist)
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 Tuples
Tuple
A tuple is a collection which is ordered and unchangeable. In Python tuples are
written with round brackets.
Example
Create a Tuple:
thistuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

print(thistuple)
Access Tuple Items

You can access tuple items by referring to the index number, inside square brackets:
Example
Print the second item in the tuple:

print(thistuple[1])
Negative Indexing
Negative indexing means beginning 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:

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.
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])
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.
Example
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)
Loop Through a Tuple

You can loop through the tuple items by using a for loop.
Example
Iterate through the items and print the values:

for x in thistuple:
print(x)
You will learn more about for loops in our Python For Loops Chapter.
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:

if "apple" in thistuple:
print("Yes, 'apple' is in the fruits tuple")
Tuple Length
To determine how many items a tuple has, use the len() method:
Example
Print the number of items in the tuple:
print(len(thistuple))
Add Items
Once a tuple is created, you cannot add items to it. Tuples are unchangeable.
Example
You cannot add items to a tuple:

thistuple[3] = "orange" # This will raise an error
print(thistuple)
Create Tuple With One Item

To create a tuple with only one item, you have add a comma after the item, unless
Python will not recognize the variable as a tuple.
Example
One item tuple, remember the commma:
thistuple = ("apple",)
print(type(thistuple))
#NOT a tuple
thistuple = ("apple")
print(type(thistuple))
Remove Items
Note: You cannot remove items in a tuple.
Tuples are unchangeable, so you cannot remove items from it, but you can delete
the tuple completely:
Example
The del keyword can delete the tuple completely:

del thistuple
print(thistuple) #this will raise an error because the tuple no longer exists
Join Two Tuples

To join two or more tuples you can use the + operator:
Example
Join two tuples:
tuple1 = ("a", "b" , "c")

tuple2 = (1, 2, 3)
tuple3 = tuple1 + tuple2

print(tuple3)
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)
Tuple Methods
Python has two built-in methods that you can use on tuples.
Method Description
count() Returns the number of times a specified value occurs in a tuple
index() Searches the tuple for a specified value and returns the position of where it was
found

Exercise:
Print the first item in the fruits tuple.
fruits = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

print( )
Submit Answer »
Start the Exercise
Python Sets
Set
A set is a collection which is unordered and unindexed. In Python sets are written with
curly brackets.
Example
Create a Set:
thisset = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

print(thisset)
Note: Sets are unordered, so you cannot be sure in which order the items will appear.
Access Items
You cannot access items in a set by referring to an index, since sets are unordered
the items has no index.
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.
Example
Loop through the set, and print the values:
for x in thisset:
print(x)
Example
Check if "banana" is present in the set:
print("banana" in thisset)
Change Items
Once a set is created, you cannot change its items, but you can add new items.
Add Items
To add one item to a set use the add() method.
To add more than one item to a set use the update() method.
Example
Add an item to a set, using the add() method:
thisset.add("orange")
print(thisset)
Example
Add multiple items to a set, using the update() method:
thisset.update(["orange", "mango", "grapes"])
print(thisset)
Get the Length of a Set

To determine how many items a set has, use the len() method.
Example
Get the number of items in a set:
print(len(thisset))
Remove Item
To remove an item in a set, use the remove(), or the discard() method.
Example
Remove "banana" by using the remove() method:
thisset.remove("banana")
print(thisset)
Note: If the item to remove does not exist, remove() will raise an error.
Example
Remove "banana" by using the discard() method:
thisset.discard("banana")
print(thisset)
Note: If the item to remove does not exist, discard() will NOT raise an error.
You can also use the pop(), method to remove an item, but this method will remove
the last item. Remember that sets are unordered, so you will not know what item that
gets removed.
The return value of the pop() method is the removed item.
Example
Remove the last item by using the pop() method:
x = thisset.pop()
print(x)
print(thisset)
Note: Sets are unordered, so when using the pop() method, you will not know which
item that gets removed.
Example
The clear() method empties the set:
thisset.clear()
print(thisset)
Example
The del keyword will delete the set completely:
del thisset
print(thisset)
Join Two Sets

There are several ways to join two or more sets in Python.
You can use the union() method that returns a new set containing all items from both
sets, or the update() method that inserts all the items from one set into another:
Example
The union() method returns a new set with all items from both sets:
set1 = {"a", "b" , "c"}

set2 = {1, 2, 3}
set3 = set1.union(set2)
print(set3)
Example
The update() method inserts the items in set2 into set1:
set1 = {"a", "b" , "c"}

set2 = {1, 2, 3}
set1.update(set2)
print(set1)
Note: Both union() and update() will exclude any duplicate items.
There are other methods that joins two sets and keeps ONLY the duplicates, or NEVER
the duplicates, check the full list of set methods in the bottom of this page.
The set() Constructor
It is also possible to use the set() constructor to make a set.
Example
Using the set() constructor to make a set:
thisset = set(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) # note the double round-brackets

print(thisset)
Run example »
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
set
discard() Remove the specified item
intersection() Returns a set, that is the intersection of two other sets
intersection_update() Removes the items in this set that are not present in other, specified
set(s)
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 the union of this set and others
Exercise:
Check if "apple" is present in the fruits set.
fruits = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}

if ("apple" fruits):
print("Yes, apple is a fruit!")
Submit Answer »
Start the Exercise
Python Dictionaries
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection which is unordered, changeable and indexed. In Python
dictionaries are written with curly brackets, and they have keys and values.
Example
Create and print a dictionary:
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
print(thisdict)
Accessing Items
You can access the items of a dictionary by referring to its key name, inside square
brackets:
Example
Get the value of the "model" key:
x = thisdict["model"]
There is also a method called get() that will give you the same result:
Example
Get the value of the "model" key:
x = thisdict.get("model")
Change Values
You can change the value of a specific item by referring to its key name:
Example
Change the "year" to 2018:
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
thisdict["year"] = 2018
Loop Through a Dictionary

You can loop through a dictionary by using a for loop.
When looping through a dictionary, the return value are the keys of the dictionary,
but there are methods to return the values as well.
Example
Print all key names in the dictionary, one by one:
for x in thisdict:
print(x)
Example
Print all values in the dictionary, one by one:
for x in thisdict:
print(thisdict[x])
Example
You can also use the values() function to return values of a dictionary:
for x in thisdict.values():
print(x)
Example
Loop through both keys and values, by using the items() function:
for x, y in thisdict.items():
print(x, y)
Check if Key Exists

To determine if a specified key is present in a dictionary use the in keyword:
Example
Check if "model" is present in the dictionary:
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
if "model" in thisdict:
print("Yes, 'model' is one of the keys in the thisdict dictionary")
Dictionary Length
To determine how many items (key-value pairs) a dictionary has, use
the len() method.
Example
Print the number of items in the dictionary:
print(len(thisdict))
Adding Items
Adding an item to the dictionary is done by using a new index key and assigning a
value to it:
Example
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
thisdict["color"] = "red"
print(thisdict)
Removing Items
There are several methods to remove items from a dictionary:
Example
The pop() method removes the item with the specified key name:
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
thisdict.pop("model")
print(thisdict)
Example
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)
Example
The del keyword removes the item with the specified key name:
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
del thisdict["model"]
print(thisdict)
Example
The del keyword can also delete the dictionary completely:
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
del thisdict
print(thisdict) #this will cause an error because "thisdict" no longer exists.
Example
The clear() keyword empties the dictionary:
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
thisdict.clear()
print(thisdict)
Copy a Dictionary
You cannot copy a dictionary simply by typing dict2 = dict1, because: dict2 will
only be a reference to dict1, and changes made in dict1 will automatically also be
made in dict2.
There are ways to make a copy, one way is to use the built-in Dictionary
method copy().
Example
Make a copy of a dictionary with the copy() method:
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
mydict = thisdict.copy()
print(mydict)
Another way to make a copy is to use the built-in method dict().
Example
Make a copy of a dictionary with the dict() method:
thisdict = {
"brand": "Ford",
"model": "Mustang",
"year": 1964
}
mydict = dict(thisdict)
print(mydict)
Nested Dictionaries
A dictionary can also contain many dictionaries, this is called nested dictionaries.
Example
Create a dictionary that contain three dictionaries:
myfamily = {
"child1" : {
"name" : "Emil",
"year" : 2004
},
"child2" : {
"name" : "Tobias",
"year" : 2007
},
"child3" : {
"name" : "Linus",
"year" : 2011
}
}
Or, if you want to nest three dictionaries that already exists as dictionaries:
Example
Create three dictionaries, than create one dictionary that will contain the other three
dictionaries:
child1 = {
"name" : "Emil",
"year" : 2004
}
child2 = {
"name" : "Tobias",
"year" : 2007
}
child3 = {
"name" : "Linus",
"year" : 2011
}
myfamily = {
"child1" : child1,
"child2" : child2,
"child3" : child3
}
Run example »
The dict() Constructor
It is also possible to use the dict() constructor to make a new dictionary:
Example
thisdict = dict(brand="Ford", model="Mustang", year=1964)
# note that keywords are not string literals
# note the use of equals rather than colon for the assignment
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 values
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
Python If ... Else
Python Conditions and If statements

Python supports the usual logical conditions from mathematics:
 Equals: a == b
 Not Equals: a != b
 Less than: a < b
 Less than or equal to: a <= b
 Greater than: a > b
 Greater than or equal to: a >= b
These conditions can be used in several ways, most commonly in "if statements" and
loops.
An "if statement" is written by using the if keyword.
Example
If statement:
a = 33
b = 200
if b > a:
In this example we use two variables, a and b, which are used as part of the if
statement to test whether b is greater than a. As a is 33, and b is 200, we know that
200 is greater than 33, and so we print to screen that "b is greater than a".
Indentation
Python relies on indentation (whitespace at the beginning of a line) to define scope in
the code. Other programming languages often use curly-brackets for this purpose.
Example
If statement, without indentation (will raise an error):
a = 33
b = 200
if b > a:
print("b is greater than a") # you will get an error
Elif
The elif keyword is pythons way of saying "if the previous conditions were not true,
then try this condition".
Example
a = 33
b = 33
if b > a:
elif a == b:
print("a and b are equal")
In this example a is equal to b, so the first condition is not true, but the elif condition
is true, so we print to screen that "a and b are equal".
Else
The else keyword catches anything which isn't caught by the preceding conditions.
Example
a = 200
b = 33
if b > a:
elif a == b:
print("a and b are equal")
else:
print("a is greater than b")
In this example a is greater than b, so the first condition is not true, also
the elif condition is not true, so we go to the else condition and print to screen that
"a is greater than b".
You can also have an else without the elif:
Example
a = 200
b = 33
if b > a:
else:
print("b is not greater than a")
Short Hand If
If you have only one statement to execute, you can put it on the same line as the if
statement.
Example
One line if statement:
if a > b: print("a is greater than b")

Short Hand If ... Else
If you have only one statement to execute, one for if, and one for else, you can put it
all on the same line:
Example
One line if else statement:
a = 2
b = 330
print("A") if a > b else print("B")
You can also have multiple else statements on the same line:
Example
One line if else statement, with 3 conditions:
a = 330
b = 330
print("A") if a > b else print("=") if a == b else print("B")
And
The and keyword is a logical operator, and is used to combine conditional statements:
Example
Test if a is greater than b, AND if c is greater than a:
a = 200
b = 33
c = 500
if a > b and c > a:
print("Both conditions are True")
Or
The or keyword is a logical operator, and is used to combine conditional statements:
Example
Test if a is greater than b, OR if a is greater than c:
a = 200
b = 33
c = 500
if a > b or a > c:
print("At least one of the conditions is True")
Nested If
You can have if statements inside if statements, this is called nested if statements.
Example
x = 41
if x > 10:
print("Above ten,")
if x > 20:
print("and also above 20!")
else:
print("but not above 20.")
The pass Statement

if statements cannot be empty, but if you for some reason have an if statement
with no content, put in the pass statement to avoid getting an error.
Example
a = 33
b = 200
if b > a:
pass
Python While Loops
Python Loops
Python has two primitive loop commands:
 while loops
 for loops
The while Loop

With the while loop we can execute a set of statements as long as a condition is true.
Example
Print i as long as i is less than 6:
i = 1
while i < 6:
print(i)
i += 1
Note: remember to increment i, or else the loop will continue forever.
The while loop requires relevant variables to be ready, in this example we need to
define an indexing variable, i, which we set to 1.
The break Statement

With the break statement we can stop the loop even if the while condition is true:
Example
Exit the loop when i is 3:
i = 1
while i < 6:
print(i)
if i == 3:
break
i += 1
The continue Statement

With the continue statement we can stop the current iteration, and continue with the
next:
Example
Continue to the next iteration if i is 3:
i = 0
while i < 6:
i += 1
if i == 3:
continue
print(i)
The else Statement

With the else statement we can run a block of code once when the condition no
longer is true:
Example
Print a message once the condition is false:
i = 1
while i < 6:
print(i)
i += 1
else:
print("i is no longer less than 6")
Python For Loops
Python For Loops

A for loop is used for iterating over a sequence (that is either a list, a tuple, a
dictionary, a set, or a string).
This is less like the for keyword in other programming languages, and works more
like an iterator method as found in other object-orientated programming languages.
With the for loop we can execute a set of statements, once for each item in a list,
tuple, set etc.
Example
Print each fruit in a fruit list:
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

for x in fruits:
print(x)
The for loop does not require an indexing variable to set beforehand.
Looping Through a String

Even strings are iterable objects, they contain a sequence of characters:
Example
Loop through the letters in the word "banana":
for x in "banana":
print(x)
The break Statement
With the break statement we can stop the loop before it has looped through all the
items:
Example
Exit the loop when x is "banana":

for x in fruits:
print(x)
if x == "banana":
break
Example
Exit the loop when x is "banana", but this time the break comes before the print:

for x in fruits:
if x == "banana":
break
print(x)
The continue Statement

With the continue statement we can stop the current iteration of the loop, and
continue with the next:
Example
Do not print banana:

for x in fruits:
if x == "banana":
continue
print(x)
The range() Function
To loop through a set of code a specified number of times, we can use
the range() function,
The range() function returns a sequence of numbers, starting from 0 by default, and
increments by 1 (by default), and ends at a specified number.
Example
Using the range() function:
for x in range(6):
print(x)
Note that range(6) is not the values of 0 to 6, but the values 0 to 5.
The range() function defaults to 0 as a starting value, however it is possible to specify

the starting value by adding a parameter: range(2, 6), which means values from 2 to
6 (but not including 6):
Example
Using the start parameter:
for x in range(2, 6):

print(x)
The range() function defaults to increment the sequence by 1, however it is possible

to specify the increment value by adding a third parameter: range(2, 30, 3):
Example
Increment the sequence with 3 (default is 1):
for x in range(2, 30, 3):

print(x)
Else in For Loop

The else keyword in a for loop specifies a block of code to be executed when the loop
is finished:
Example
Print all numbers from 0 to 5, and print a message when the loop has ended:
for x in range(6):
print(x)
else:
print("Finally finished!")
Nested Loops
A nested loop is a loop inside a loop.
The "inner loop" will be executed one time for each iteration of the "outer loop":
Example
Print each adjective for every fruit:
adj = ["red", "big", "tasty"]

for x in adj:
for y in fruits:
print(x, y)
The pass Statement

for loops cannot be empty, but if you for some reason have a for loop with no
content, put in the pass statement to avoid getting an error.
Example
for x in [0, 1, 2]:
pass

Exercise:
Loop through the items in the fruits list.

x fruits
print(x)
Submit Answer »
Start the Exercise
Python Functions
A function is a block of code which only runs when it is called.
You can pass data, known as parameters, into a function.
A function can return data as a result.
Creating a Function
In Python a function is defined using the def keyword:
Example
def my_function():
print("Hello from a function")
Calling a Function
To call a function, use the function name followed by parenthesis:
Example
def my_function():
print("Hello from a function")
my_function()
Parameters
Information can be passed to functions as parameter.
Parameters are specified after the function name, inside the parentheses. You can add
as many parameters as you want, just separate them with a comma.
The following example has a function with one parameter (fname). When the function
is called, we pass along a first name, which is used inside the function to print the full
name:
Example
def my_function(fname):
print(fname + " Refsnes")
my_function("Emil")
my_function("Tobias")
my_function("Linus")
Default Parameter Value

The following example shows how to use a default parameter value.
If we call the function without parameter, it uses the default value:
Example
def my_function(country = "Norway"):
print("I am from " + country)
my_function("Sweden")
my_function("India")
my_function()
my_function("Brazil")
Passing a List as a Parameter
You can send any data types of parameter to a function (string, number, list,
dictionary etc.), and it will be treated as the same data type inside the function.
E.g. if you send a List as a parameter, it will still be a List when it reaches the
function:
Example
def my_function(food):
for x in food:
print(x)
my_function(fruits)
Return Values
To let a function return a value, use the return statement:
Example
def my_function(x):
return 5 * x
print(my_function(3))
Keyword Arguments
You can also send arguments with the key = value syntax.
This way the order of the arguments does not matter.
Example
def my_function(child3, child2, child1):
print("The youngest child is " + child3)
my_function(child1 = "Emil", child2 = "Tobias", child3 = "Linus")
The phrase Keyword Arguments are often shortened to kwargs in Python

documentations.
Arbitrary Arguments
If you do not know how many arguments that will be passed into your function, add
a * before the parameter name in the function definition.
This way the function will receive a tuple of arguments, and can access the items
accordingly:
Example
If the number of arguments are unknown, add a * before the parameter name:
def my_function(*kids):
print("The youngest child is " + kids[2])
my_function("Emil", "Tobias", "Linus")
The pass Statement

function definitions cannot be empty, but if you for some reason have
a function definition with no content, put in the pass statement to avoid getting an
error.
Example
def myfunction:
pass
Recursion
Python also accepts function recursion, which means a defined function can call itself.
Recursion is a common mathematical and programming concept. It means that a
function calls itself. This has the benefit of meaning that you can loop through data to
reach a result.
The developer should be very careful with recursion as it can be quite easy to slip into
writing a function which never terminates, or one that uses excess amounts of
memory or processor power. However, when written correctly recursion can be a very
efficient and mathematically-elegant approach to programming.
In this example, tri_recursion() is a function that we have defined to call itself

("recurse"). We use the k variable as the data, which decrements (-1) every time we
recurse. The recursion ends when the condition is not greater than 0 (i.e. when it is
0).
To a new developer it can take some time to work out how exactly this works, best
way to find out is by testing and modifying it.
Example
Recursion Example
def tri_recursion(k):
if(k>0):
result = k+tri_recursion(k-1)
print(result)
else:
result = 0
return result
print("\n\nRecursion Example Results")

tri_recursion(6)
Python Lambda
A lambda function is a small anonymous function.
A lambda function can take any number of arguments, but can only have one
expression.
Syntax
lambda arguments : expression
The expression is executed and the result is returned:
Example
A lambda function that adds 10 to the number passed in as an argument, and print
the result:
x = lambda a : a + 10
print(x(5))
Lambda functions can take any number of arguments:
Example
A lambda function that multiplies argument a with argument b and print the result:
x = lambda a, b : a * b
print(x(5, 6))
Example
A lambda function that sums argument a, b, and c and print the result:
x = lambda a, b, c : a + b + c
print(x(5, 6, 2))
Why Use Lambda Functions?

The power of lambda is better shown when you use them as an anonymous function
inside another function.
Say you have a function definition that takes one argument, and that argument will
be multiplied with an unknown number:
def myfunc(n):
return lambda a : a * n
Use that function definition to make a function that always doubles the number you
send in:
Example
def myfunc(n):
mydoubler = myfunc(2)
print(mydoubler(11))
Or, use the same function definition to make a function that always triples the number
you send in:
Example
def myfunc(n):
mytripler = myfunc(3)
print(mytripler(11))
Or, use the same function definition to make both functions, in the same program:
Example
def myfunc(n):
mydoubler = myfunc(2)
mytripler = myfunc(3)
print(mydoubler(11))
print(mytripler(11))
Use lambda functions when an anonymous function is required for a short period of
time.

Exercise:
Create a lambda function that takes one parameter (a) and returns it.
x =
Submit Answer »
Start the Exercise
Python Arrays
Note: Python does not have built-in support for Arrays, but Python Lists can be used
instead.
Arrays
Arrays are used to store multiple values in one single variable:
Example
Create an array containing car names:
cars = ["Ford", "Volvo", "BMW"]
What is an Array?
An array is a special variable, which can hold more than one value at a time.
If you have a list of items (a list of car names, for example), storing the cars in single
variables could look like this:
car1 = "Ford"
car2 = "Volvo"
car3 = "BMW"
However, what if you want to loop through the cars and find a specific one? And what
if you had not 3 cars, but 300?
The solution is an array!
An array can hold many values under a single name, and you can access the values
by referring to an index number.
Access the Elements of an Array
You refer to an array element by referring to the index number.
Example
Get the value of the first array item:
x = cars[0]
Example
Modify the value of the first array item:
cars[0] = "Toyota"
The Length of an Array

Use the len() method to return the length of an array (the number of elements in an
array).
Example
Return the number of elements in the cars array:
x = len(cars)
Note: The length of an array is always one more than the highest array index.
Looping Array Elements

You can use the for in loop to loop through all the elements of an array.
Example
Print each item in the cars array:
for x in cars:
print(x)
Adding Array Elements
You can use the append() method to add an element to an array.
Example
Add one more element to the cars array:
cars.append("Honda")
Removing Array Elements

You can use the pop() method to remove an element from the array.
Example
Delete the second element of the cars array:
cars.pop(1)
You can also use the remove() method to remove an element from the array.
Example
Delete the element that has the value "Volvo":
cars.remove("Volvo")
Note: The list's remove() method only removes the first occurrence of the specified
value.
Array Methods
Python has a set of built-in methods that you can use on lists/arrays.
Method Description
remove() Removes the first item with the specified value
instead.
Python Classes and Objects
Python Classes/Objects
Python is an object oriented programming language.
Almost everything in Python is an object, with its properties and methods.
A Class is like an object constructor, or a "blueprint" for creating objects.
Create a Class
To create a class, use the keyword class:
Example
Create a class named MyClass, with a property named x:
class MyClass:
x = 5
Create Object
Now we can use the class named myClass to create objects:
Example
Create an object named p1, and print the value of x:
p1 = MyClass()
print(p1.x)
The __init__() Function

The examples above are classes and objects in their simplest form, and are not really
useful in real life applications.
To understand the meaning of classes we have to understand the built-in __init__()

function.
All classes have a function called __init__(), which is always executed when the class
is being initiated.
Use the __init__() function to assign values to object properties, or other operations
that are necessary to do when the object is being created:
Example
Create a class named Person, use the __init__() function to assign values for name
and age:
class Person:
def __init__(self, name, age):
self.name = name
self.age = age
p1 = Person("John", 36)
print(p1.name)
print(p1.age)
Note: The __init__() function is called automatically every time the class is being used
to create a new object.
Object Methods
Objects can also contain methods. Methods in objects are functions that belong to the
object.
Let us create a method in the Person class:
Example
Insert a function that prints a greeting, and execute it on the p1 object:
class Person:
def __init__(self, name, age):
self.name = name
self.age = age
def myfunc(self):
print("Hello my name is " + self.name)
p1.myfunc()
Note: The self parameter is a reference to the current instance of the class, and is
used to access variables that belong to the class.
The self Parameter

The self parameter is a reference to the current instance of the class, and is used to
access variables that belongs to the class.
It does not have to be named self , you can call it whatever you like, but it has to be
the first parameter of any function in the class:
Example
Use the words mysillyobject and abc instead of self:
class Person:
def __init__(mysillyobject, name, age):
mysillyobject.name = name
mysillyobject.age = age
def myfunc(abc):
print("Hello my name is " + abc.name)
p1.myfunc()
Modify Object Properties

You can modify properties on objects like this:
Example
Set the age of p1 to 40:
p1.age = 40
Delete Object Properties
You can delete properties on objects by using the del keyword:
Example
Delete the age property from the p1 object:
del p1.age
Delete Objects
You can delete objects by using the del keyword:
Example
Delete the p1 object:
del p1
The pass Statement

class definitions cannot be empty, but if you for some reason have a class definition
with no content, put in the pass statement to avoid getting an error.
Example
class Person:
pass
Python Inheritance
Python Inheritance
Inheritance allows us to define a class that inherits all the methods and properties
from another class.
Parent class is the class being inherited from, also called base class.
Child class is the class that inherits from another class, also called derived class.
Create a Parent Class

Any class can be a parent class, so the syntax is the same as creating any other class:
Example
Create a class named Person, with firstname and lastname properties, and
a printname method:
class Person:
def __init__(self, fname, lname):
self.firstname = fname
self.lastname = lname
def printname(self):
print(self.firstname, self.lastname)
#Use the Person class to create an object, and then execute the printname
method:
x = Person("John", "Doe")
x.printname()
Create a Child Class

To create a class that inherits the functionality from another class, send the parent
class as a parameter when creating the child class:
Example
Create a class named Student, which will inherit the properties and methods from
the Person class:
class Student(Person):
pass
Note: Use the pass keyword when you do not want to add any other properties or
methods to the class.
Now the Student class has the same properties and methods as the Person class.
Example
Use the Student class to create an object, and then execute the printname method:
x = Student("Mike", "Olsen")
x.printname()
Add the __init__() Function

So far we have created a child class that inherits the properties and methods from its
parent.
We want to add the __init__() function to the child class (instead of the pass keyword).
Note: The __init__() function is called automatically every time the class is being used
to create a new object.
Example
Add the __init__() function to the Student class:
#add properties etc.
When you add the __init__() function, the child class will no longer inherit the
parent's __init__() function.
Note: The child's __init__() function overrides the inheritance of the

parent's __init__() function.
To keep the inheritance of the parent's __init__() function, add a call to the
parent's __init__() function:
Example
Person.__init__(self, fname, lname)
Now we have successfully added the __init__() function, and kept the inheritance of
the parent class, and we are ready to add functionality in the __init__() function.
Use the super() Function

Python also has a super() function that will make the child class inherit all the methods
and properties from its parent:
Example
super().__init__(fname, lname)
By using the super() function, you do not have to use the name of the parent element,
it will automatically inherit the methods and properties from its parent.
Add Properties
Example
Add a property called graduationyear to the Student class:
self.graduationyear = 2019
In the example below, the year 2019 should be a variable, and passed into
the Student class when creating student objects. To do so, add another parameter in
the __init__() function:
Example
Add a year parameter, and pass the correct year when creating objects:
def __init__(self, fname, lname, year):
self.graduationyear = year
x = Student("Mike", "Olsen", 2019)
Add Methods
Example
Add a method called welcome to the Student class:
def __init__(self, fname, lname, year):
self.graduationyear = year
def welcome(self):
print("Welcome", self.firstname, self.lastname, "to the class of",
self.graduationyear)
If you add a method in the child class with the same name as a function in the parent
class, the inheritance of the parent method will be overridden.
Python Iterators
Python Iterators
An iterator is an object that contains a countable number of values.
An iterator is an object that can be iterated upon, meaning that you can traverse
through all the values.
Technically, in Python, an iterator is an object which implements the iterator protocol,

which consist of the methods __iter__() and __next__().
Iterator vs Iterable
Lists, tuples, dictionaries, and sets are all iterable objects. They are
iterable containers which you can get an iterator from.
All these objects have a iter() method which is used to get an iterator:
Example
Return an iterator from a tuple, and print each value:
mytuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

myit = iter(mytuple)
print(next(myit))
print(next(myit))
print(next(myit))
Even strings are iterable objects, and can return an iterator:
Example
Strings are also iterable objects, containing a sequence of characters:
mystr = "banana"
myit = iter(mystr)
print(next(myit))
print(next(myit))
print(next(myit))
print(next(myit))
print(next(myit))
print(next(myit))
Looping Through an Iterator

We can also use a for loop to iterate through an iterable object:
Example
Iterate the values of a tuple:
mytuple = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")
for x in mytuple:
print(x)
Example
Iterate the characters of a string:
mystr = "banana"
for x in mystr:
print(x)
The for loop actually creates an iterator object and executes the next() method for
each loop.
Create an Iterator
To create an object/class as an iterator you have to implement the
methods __iter__() and __next__() to your object.
As you have learned in the Python Classes/Objects chapter, all classes have a function
called __init__(), which allows you do some initializing when the object is being
created.
The __iter__() method acts similar, you can do operations (initializing etc.), but must
always return the iterator object itself.
The __next__() method also allows you to do operations, and must return the next item
in the sequence.
Example
Create an iterator that returns numbers, starting with 1, and each sequence will
increase by one (returning 1,2,3,4,5 etc.):
class MyNumbers:
def __iter__(self):
self.a = 1
return self
def __next__(self):
x = self.a
self.a += 1
return x
myclass = MyNumbers()
myiter = iter(myclass)
print(next(myiter))
print(next(myiter))
print(next(myiter))
print(next(myiter))
print(next(myiter))
StopIteration
The example above would continue forever if you had enough next() statements, or if
it was used in a for loop.
To prevent the iteration to go on forever, we can use the StopIteration statement.
In the __next__() method, we can add a terminating condition to raise an error if the
iteration is done a specified number of times:
Example
Stop after 20 iterations:
class MyNumbers:
def __iter__(self):
self.a = 1
return self
def __next__(self):
if self.a <= 20:
x = self.a
self.a += 1
return x
else:
raise StopIteration
myclass = MyNumbers()
myiter = iter(myclass)
for x in myiter:
print(x)
Python Scope
A variable is only available from inside the region it is created. This is

called scope.
Local Scope
A variable created inside a function belongs to the local scope of that function, and
can only be used inside that function.
Example
A variable created inside a function is available inside that function:
def myfunc():
x = 300
print(x)
myfunc()
Function Inside Function

As explained in the example above, the variable x is not available outside the
function, but it is available for any function inside the function:
Example
The local variable can be accessed from a function within the function:
def myfunc():
x = 300
def myinnerfunc():
print(x)
myinnerfunc()
myfunc()
Global Scope
A variable created in the main body of the Python code is a global variable and
belongs to the global scope.
Global variables are available from within any scope, global and local.
Example
A variable created outside of a function is global and can be used by anyone:
x = 300
def myfunc():
print(x)
myfunc()
print(x)
Naming Variables
If you operate with the same variable name inside and outside of a function, Python
will treat them as two separate variables, one available in the global scope (outside
the function) and one available in the local scope (inside the function):
Example
The function will print the local x, and then the code will print the global x:
x = 300
def myfunc():
x = 200
print(x)
myfunc()
print(x)
Global Keyword
If you need to create a global variable, but are stuck in the local scope, you can use
the global keyword.
The global keyword makes the variable global.
Example
If you use the global keyword, the variable belongs to the global scope:
def myfunc():
global x
x = 300
myfunc()
print(x)
Also, use the global keyword if you want to make a change to a global variable inside
a function.
Example
To change the value of a global variable inside a function, refer to the variable by
using the global keyword:
x = 300
def myfunc():
global x
x = 200
myfunc()
print(x)
Python Modules
What is a Module?
Consider a module to be the same as a code library.
A file containing a set of functions you want to include in your application.

Create a Module
To create a module just save the code you want in a file with the file extension .py:
Example
Save this code in a file named mymodule.py
def greeting(name):
print("Hello, " + name)
Use a Module
Now we can use the module we just created, by using the import statement:
Example
Import the module named mymodule, and call the greeting function:
import mymodule
mymodule.greeting("Jonathan")
Note: When using a function from a module, use the

syntax: module_name.function_name.
Variables in Module
The module can contain functions, as already described, but also variables of all types
(arrays, dictionaries, objects etc):
Example
Save this code in the file mymodule.py
person1 = {
"name": "John",
"age": 36,
"country": "Norway"
}
Example
Import the module named mymodule, and access the person1 dictionary:
import mymodule
a = mymodule.person1["age"]
print(a)
Naming a Module
You can name the module file whatever you like, but it must have the file
extension .py
Re-naming a Module
You can create an alias when you import a module, by using the as keyword:
Example
Create an alias for mymodule called mx:
import mymodule as mx
a = mx.person1["age"]
print(a)
Built-in Modules
There are several built-in modules in Python, which you can import whenever you
like.
Example
Import and use the platform module:
import platform
x = platform.system()
print(x)
Using the dir() Function
There is a built-in function to list all the function names (or variable names) in a
module. The dir() function:
Example
List all the defined names belonging to the platform module:
import platform
x = dir(platform)
print(x)
Note: The dir() function can be used on all modules, also the ones you create
yourself.
Import From Module

You can choose to import only parts from a module, by using the from keyword.
Example
The module named mymodule has one function and one dictionary:
def greeting(name):
print("Hello, " + name)
person1 = {
"name": "John",
"age": 36,
"country": "Norway"
}
Example
Import only the person1 dictionary from the module:
from mymodule import person1
print (person1["age"])
Note: When importing using the from keyword, do not use the module name when
referring to elements in the module.
Example: person1["age"], not mymodule.person1["age"]
Python Datetime
Python Dates
A date in Python is not a data type of its own, but we can import a module
named datetime to work with dates as date objects.
Example
Import the datetime module and display the current date:
import datetime
x = datetime.datetime.now()
print(x)
Date Output
When we execute the code from the example above the result will be:
2019-12-02 16:12:49.260602
The date contains year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and microsecond.
The datetime module has many methods to return information about the date object.
Here are a few examples, you will learn more about them later in this chapter:
Example
Return the year and name of weekday:
import datetime
x = datetime.datetime.now()
print(x.year)
print(x.strftime("%A"))
Creating Date Objects

To create a date, we can use the datetime() class (constructor) of the datetime module.
The datetime() class requires three parameters to create a date: year, month, day.
Example
Create a date object:
import datetime
x = datetime.datetime(2020, 5, 17)
print(x)
The datetime() class also takes parameters for time and timezone (hour, minute,
second, microsecond, tzone), but they are optional, and has a default value of 0,
(None for timezone).
The strftime() Method

The datetime object has a method for formatting date objects into readable strings.
The method is called strftime(), and takes one parameter, format, to specify the format
of the returned string:
Example
Display the name of the month:
import datetime
x = datetime.datetime(2018, 6, 1)
print(x.strftime("%B"))
A reference of all the legal format codes:
Directive Description Example Try it
%a Weekday, short version Wed Try it »
%A Weekday, full version Wednesday Try it »
%w Weekday as a number 0-6, 0 is Sunday 3 Try it »
%d Day of month 01-31 31 Try it »
%b Month name, short version Dec Try it »
%B Month name, full version December Try it »
%m Month as a number 01-12 12 Try it »
%y Year, short version, without century 18 Try it »

%Y Year, full version 2018 Try it »
%H Hour 00-23 17 Try it »
%I Hour 00-12 05 Try it »
%p AM/PM PM Try it »
%M Minute 00-59 41 Try it »
%S Second 00-59 08 Try it »
%f Microsecond 000000-999999 548513 Try it »
%z UTC offset +0100
%Z Timezone CST
%j Day number of year 001-366 365 Try it »

%U Week number of year, Sunday as the first 52 Try it »
day of week, 00-53
%W Week number of year, Monday as the first 52 Try it »

day of week, 00-53
%c Local version of date and time Mon Dec 31 17:41:00 2018 Try it »
%x Local version of date 12/31/18 Try it »
%X Local version of time 17:41:00 Try it »
%% A % character % Try it »
Python JSON
JSON is a syntax for storing and exchanging data.
JSON is text, written with JavaScript object notation.
JSON in Python
Python has a built-in package called json, which can be used to work with JSON data.
Example
Import the json module:
import json
Parse JSON - Convert from JSON to Python

If you have a JSON string, you can parse it by using the json.loads() method.
The result will be a Python dictionary.
Example
Convert from JSON to Python:
import json
# some JSON:
x = '{ "name":"John", "age":30, "city":"New York"}'
# parse x:
y = json.loads(x)
# the result is a Python dictionary:

print(y["age"])
Convert from Python to JSON

If you have a Python object, you can convert it into a JSON string by using
the json.dumps() method.
Example
Convert from Python to JSON:
import json
# a Python object (dict):

x = {
"name": "John",
"age": 30,
"city": "New York"
}
# convert into JSON:

y = json.dumps(x)
# the result is a JSON string:

print(y)
You can convert Python objects of the following types, into JSON strings:
 dict
 list
 tuple
 string
 int
 float
 True
 False
 None
Example
Convert Python objects into JSON strings, and print the values:
import json
print(json.dumps({"name": "John", "age": 30}))

print(json.dumps(["apple", "bananas"]))
print(json.dumps(("apple", "bananas")))
print(json.dumps("hello"))
print(json.dumps(42))
print(json.dumps(31.76))
print(json.dumps(True))
print(json.dumps(False))
print(json.dumps(None))
When you convert from Python to JSON, Python objects are converted into the JSON
(JavaScript) equivalent:
Python JSON
dict Object
list Array
tuple Array
str String
int Number
float Number
True true
False false
None null
Example
Convert a Python object containing all the legal data types:
import json
x = {
"name": "John",
"age": 30,
"married": True,
"divorced": False,
"children": ("Ann","Billy"),
"pets": None,
"cars": [
{"model": "BMW 230", "mpg": 27.5},
{"model": "Ford Edge", "mpg": 24.1}
]
}
print(json.dumps(x))
Format the Result

The example above prints a JSON string, but it is not very easy to read, with no
indentations and line breaks.
The json.dumps() method has parameters to make it easier to read the result:
Example
Use the indent parameter to define the numbers of indents:
json.dumps(x, indent=4)
You can also define the separators, default value is (", ", ": "), which means using a
comma and a space to separate each object, and a colon and a space to separate
keys from values:
Example
Use the separators parameter to change the default separator:
json.dumps(x, indent=4, separators=(". ", " = "))
Order the Result

The json.dumps() method has parameters to order the keys in the result:
Example
Use the sort_keys parameter to specify if the result should be sorted or not:
json.dumps(x, indent=4, sort_keys=True)
Python RegEx
A RegEx, or Regular Expression, is a sequence of characters that forms a search

pattern.
RegEx can be used to check if a string contains the specified search pattern.
RegEx Module
Python has a built-in package called re, which can be used to work with Regular
Expressions.
Import the re module:
import re
RegEx in Python
When you have imported the re module, you can start using regular expressions:
Example
Search the string to see if it starts with "The" and ends with "Spain":
import re
txt = "The rain in Spain"

x = re.search("^The.*Spain$", txt)
RegEx Functions
The re module offers a set of functions that allows us to search a string for a match:
Function Description
findall Returns a list containing all matches
search Returns a Match object if there is a match anywhere in the string
split Returns a list where the string has been split at each match
sub Replaces one or many matches with a string
Metacharacters
Metacharacters are characters with a special meaning:
Character Description Example Try it
[] A set of characters "[a-m]" Try it »

\ Signals a special sequence (can also be used to escape special "\d" Try it »
characters)
. Any character (except newline character) "he..o" Try it »
^ Starts with "^hello" Try it »
$ Ends with "world$" Try it »
* Zero or more occurrences "aix*" Try it »
+ One or more occurrences "aix+" Try it »
{} Exactly the specified number of occurrences "al{2}" Try it »
| Either or "falls|stays" Try it »
() Capture and group
Special Sequences
A special sequence is a \ followed by one of the characters in the list below, and has a
special meaning:
Character Description Example Try it

\A Returns a match if the specified characters are at the beginning of the "\AThe" Try it »
string
\b Returns a match where the specified characters are at the beginning or r"\bain" Try it »
at the end of a word r"ain\b" Try it »
\B Returns a match where the specified characters are present, but NOT r"\Bain" Try it »
at the beginning (or at the end) of a word r"ain\B" Try it »
\d Returns a match where the string contains digits (numbers from 0-9) "\d" Try it »
\D Returns a match where the string DOES NOT contain digits "\D" Try it »
\s Returns a match where the string contains a white space character "\s" Try it »
\S Returns a match where the string DOES NOT contain a white space "\S" Try it »
character
\w Returns a match where the string contains any word characters "\w" Try it »
(characters from a to Z, digits from 0-9, and the underscore _
character)
\W Returns a match where the string DOES NOT contain any word "\W" Try it »
characters
\Z Returns a match if the specified characters are at the end of the string "Spain\Z" Try it »
Sets
A set is a set of characters inside a pair of square brackets [] with a special meaning:
Set Description Try it
[arn] Returns a match where one of the specified characters (a, r, or n) are present Try it »
[a-n] Returns a match for any lower case character, alphabetically between a and n Try it »
[^arn] Returns a match for any character EXCEPT a, r, and n Try it »
[0123] Returns a match where any of the specified digits (0, 1, 2, or 3) are present Try it »
[0-9] Returns a match for any digit between 0 and 9 Try it »
[0-5][0-9] Returns a match for any two-digit numbers from 00 and 59 Try it »
[a-zA-Z] Returns a match for any character alphabetically between a and z, lower case OR Try it »
upper case
[+] In sets, +, *, ., |, (), $,{} has no special meaning, so [+] means: return a match Try it »
for any + character in the string
The findall() Function
The findall() function returns a list containing all matches.
Example
Print a list of all matches:
import re
str = "The rain in Spain"

x = re.findall("ai", str)
print(x)
The list contains the matches in the order they are found.
If no matches are found, an empty list is returned:
Example
Return an empty list if no match was found:
import re

x = re.findall("Portugal", str)
print(x)
The search() Function

The search() function searches the string for a match, and returns a Match object if
there is a match.
If there is more than one match, only the first occurrence of the match will be
returned:
Example
Search for the first white-space character in the string:
import re

x = re.search("\s", str)
print("The first white-space character is located in position:", x.start())
If no matches are found, the value None is returned:
Example
Make a search that returns no match:
import re

x = re.search("Portugal", str)
print(x)
The split() Function

The split() function returns a list where the string has been split at each match:
Example
Split at each white-space character:
import re

x = re.split("\s", str)
print(x)
You can control the number of occurrences by specifying the maxsplit parameter:
Example
Split the string only at the first occurrence:
import re

x = re.split("\s", str, 1)
print(x)
The sub() Function
The sub() function replaces the matches with the text of your choice:
Example
Replace every white-space character with the number 9:
import re

x = re.sub("\s", "9", str)
print(x)
You can control the number of replacements by specifying the count parameter:
Example
Replace the first 2 occurrences:
import re

x = re.sub("\s", "9", str, 2)
print(x)
Match Object
A Match Object is an object containing information about the search and the result.
Note: If there is no match, the value None will be returned, instead of the Match
Object.
Example
Do a search that will return a Match Object:
import re

x = re.search("ai", str)
print(x) #this will print an object
The Match object has properties and methods used to retrieve information about the
search, and the result:
.span() returns a tuple containing the start-, and end positions of the match.
.string returns the string passed into the function
.group() returns the part of the string where there was a match
Example
Print the position (start- and end-position) of the first match occurrence.
The regular expression looks for any words that starts with an upper case "S":
import re

x = re.search(r"\bS\w+", str)
print(x.span())
Example
Print the string passed into the function:
import re

print(x.string)
Example
Print the part of the string where there was a match.
The regular expression looks for any words that starts with an upper case "S":
import re

print(x.group())
Note: If there is no match, the value None will be returned, instead of the Match
Object.
Python PIP
What is PIP?
PIP is a package manager for Python packages, or modules if you like.
Note: If you have Python version 3.4 or later, PIP is included by default.
What is a Package?
A package contains all the files you need for a module.
Modules are Python code libraries you can include in your project.
Check if PIP is Installed

Navigate your command line to the location of Python's script directory, and type the
following:
Example
Check PIP version:
C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python36-32\Scripts>pip --
version
Install PIP
If you do not have PIP installed, you can download and install it from this
page: https://pypi.org/project/pip/
Download a Package
Downloading a package is very easy.
Open the command line interface and tell PIP to download the package you want.
Navigate your command line to the location of Python's script directory, and type the
following:
Example
Download a package named "camelcase":
C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python36-32\Scripts>pip
install camelcase
Now you have downloaded and installed your first package!
Using a Package
Once the package is installed, it is ready to use.
Import the "camelcase" package into your project.
Example
Import and use "camelcase":
import camelcase
c = camelcase.CamelCase()
txt = "hello world"
print(c.hump(txt))
Find Packages
Find more packages at https://pypi.org/.
Remove a Package
Use the uninstall command to remove a package:
Example
Uninstall the package named "camelcase":
uninstall camelcase
The PIP Package Manager will ask you to confirm that you want to remove the
camelcase package:
Uninstalling camelcase-02.1:
Would remove:
c:\users\Your Name\appdata\local\programs\python\python36-32\lib\site-
packages\camecase-0.2-py3.6.egg-info
c:\users\Your Name\appdata\local\programs\python\python36-32\lib\site-
packages\camecase\*
Proceed (y/n)?
Press y and the package will be removed.
List Packages
Use the list command to list all the packages installed on your system:
Example
List installed packages:
C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python36-32\Scripts>pip list
Result:
Package Version
-----------------------
camelcase 0.2
mysql-connector 2.1.6
pip 18.1
pymongo 3.6.1
setuptools 39.0.1
Python Try Except
The try block lets you test a block of code for errors.
The except block lets you handle the error.
The finally block lets you execute code, regardless of the result of the try- and
except blocks.
Exception Handling
When an error occurs, or exception as we call it, Python will normally stop and
generate an error message.
These exceptions can be handled using the try statement:
Example
The try block will generate an exception, because x is not defined:
try:
print(x)
except:
print("An exception occurred")
Since the try block raises an error, the except block will be executed.
Without the try block, the program will crash and raise an error:
Example
This statement will raise an error, because x is not defined:
print(x)
Many Exceptions
You can define as many exception blocks as you want, e.g. if you want to execute a
special block of code for a special kind of error:
Example
Print one message if the try block raises a NameError and another for other errors:
try:
print(x)
except NameError:
print("Variable x is not defined")
except:
print("Something else went wrong")
Else
You can use the else keyword to define a block of code to be executed if no errors
were raised:
Example
In this example, the try block does not generate any error:
try:
print("Hello")
except:
print("Something went wrong")
else:
print("Nothing went wrong")
Finally
The finally block, if specified, will be executed regardless if the try block raises an
error or not.
Example
try:
print(x)
except:
print("Something went wrong")
finally:
print("The 'try except' is finished")
This can be useful to close objects and clean up resources:
Example
Try to open and write to a file that is not writable:
try:
f = open("demofile.txt")
f.write("Lorum Ipsum")
except:
print("Something went wrong when writing to the file")
finally:
f.close()
The program can continue, without leaving the file object open.
Raise an exception
As a Python developer you can choose to throw an exception if a condition occurs.
To throw (or raise) an exception, use the raise keyword.
Example
Raise an error and stop the program if x is lower than 0:
x = -1
if x < 0:
raise Exception("Sorry, no numbers below zero")
The raise keyword is used to raise an exception.
You can define what kind of error to raise, and the text to print to the user.
Example
Raise a TypeError if x is not an integer:
x = "hello"
if not type(x) is int:

raise TypeError("Only integers are allowed")
Python User Input
User Input
Python allows for user input.
That means we are able to ask the user for input.
The method is a bit different in Python 3.6 than Python 2.7.
Python 3.6 uses the input() method.
Python 2.7 uses the raw_input() method.
The following example asks for the username, and when you entered the username, it
gets printed on the screen:
Python 3.6
username = input("Enter username:")
print("Username is: " + username)
Python 2.7
username = raw_input("Enter username:")
print("Username is: " + username)
Python stops executing when it comes to the input() function, and continues when the
user has given some input.
Python String Formatting
To make sure a string will display as expected, we can format the result with
the format() method.
String format()
The format() method allows you to format selected parts of a string.
Sometimes there are parts of a text that you do not control, maybe they come from a
database, or user input?
To control such values, add placeholders (curly brackets {}) in the text, and run the
values through the format() method:
Example
Add a placeholder where you want to display the price:
price = 49
txt = "The price is {} dollars"
print(txt.format(price))
You can add parameters inside the curly brackets to specify how to convert the value:
Example
Format the price to be displayed as a number with two decimals:
txt = "The price is {:.2f} dollars"
Check out all formatting types in our String format() Reference.
Multiple Values
If you want to use more values, just add more values to the format() method:
print(txt.format(price, itemno, count))

And add more placeholders:
Example
quantity = 3
itemno = 567
price = 49
myorder = "I want {} pieces of item number {} for {:.2f} dollars."
Index Numbers
You can use index numbers (a number inside the curly brackets {0}) to be sure the
values are placed in the correct placeholders:
Example
quantity = 3
itemno = 567
price = 49
myorder = "I want {0} pieces of item number {1} for {2:.2f} dollars."
Also, if you want to refer to the same value more than once, use the index number:
Example
age = 36
name = "John"
txt = "His name is {1}. {1} is {0} years old."
print(txt.format(age, name))
Named Indexes
You can also use named indexes by entering a name inside the curly
brackets {carname}, but then you must use names when you pass the parameter
values txt.format(carname = "Ford"):
Example
myorder = "I have a {carname}, it is a {model}."
print(myorder.format(carname = "Ford", model = "Mustang"))
File Handling
Python File Open
File handling is an important part of any web application.
Python has several functions for creating, reading, updating, and deleting files.
File Handling
The key function for working with files in Python is the open() function.
The open() function takes two parameters; filename, and mode.
There are four different methods (modes) for opening a file:
"r" - Read - Default value. Opens a file for reading, error if the file does not exist
"a" - Append - Opens a file for appending, creates the file if it does not exist
"w" - Write - Opens a file for writing, creates the file if it does not exist
"x" - Create - Creates the specified file, returns an error if the file exists
In addition you can specify if the file should be handled as binary or text mode
"t" - Text - Default value. Text mode
"b" - Binary - Binary mode (e.g. images)

Syntax
To open a file for reading it is enough to specify the name of the file:
f = open("demofile.txt")
The code above is the same as:
f = open("demofile.txt", "rt")
Because "r" for read, and "t" for text are the default values, you do not need to
specify them.
Note: Make sure the file exists, or else you will get an error.
Python File Open
Open a File on the Server

Assume we have the following file, located in the same folder as Python:
demofile.txt
Hello! Welcome to demofile.txt

This file is for testing purposes.
Good Luck!
To open the file, use the built-in open() function.
The open() function returns a file object, which has a read() method for reading the
content of the file:
Example
f = open("demofile.txt", "r")
print(f.read())
Read Only Parts of the File
By default the read() method returns the whole text, but you can also specify how
many characters you want to return:
Example
Return the 5 first characters of the file:
print(f.read(5))
Read Lines
You can return one line by using the readline() method:
Example
Read one line of the file:
print(f.readline())
By calling readline() two times, you can read the two first lines:
Example
Read two lines of the file:
print(f.readline())
print(f.readline())
By looping through the lines of the file, you can read the whole file, line by line:
Example
Loop through the file line by line:
for x in f:
print(x)
Close Files
It is a good practice to always close the file when you are done with it.
Example
Close the file when you are finish with it:
print(f.readline())
f.close()
Note: You should always close your files, in some cases, due to buffering, changes
made to a file may not show until you close the file.
Python File Write
Write to an Existing File

To write to an existing file, you must add a parameter to the open() function:
"a" - Append - will append to the end of the file
"w" - Write - will overwrite any existing content
Example
Open the file "demofile2.txt" and append content to the file:
f = open("demofile2.txt", "a")
f.write("Now the file has more content!")
f.close()
#open and read the file after the appending:

f = open("demofile2.txt", "r")
print(f.read())
Example
Open the file "demofile3.txt" and overwrite the content:
f = open("demofile3.txt", "w")
f.write("Woops! I have deleted the content!")
f.close()
#open and read the file after the appending:

f = open("demofile3.txt", "r")
print(f.read())
Note: the "w" method will overwrite the entire file.
Create a New File

To create a new file in Python, use the open() method, with one of the following
parameters:
"x" - Create - will create a file, returns an error if the file exist
"a" - Append - will create a file if the specified file does not exist
"w" - Write - will create a file if the specified file does not exist
Example
Create a file called "myfile.txt":
f = open("myfile.txt", "x")
Result: a new empty file is created!
Example
Create a new file if it does not exist:
f = open("myfile.txt", "w")
Python Delete File
Delete a File
To delete a file, you must import the OS module, and run its os.remove() function:
Example
Remove the file "demofile.txt":
import os
os.remove("demofile.txt")
Check if File exist:

To avoid getting an error, you might want to check if the file exists before you try to
delete it:
Example
Check if file exists, then delete it:
import os
if os.path.exists("demofile.txt"):
os.remove("demofile.txt")
else:
print("The file does not exist")
Delete Folder
To delete an entire folder, use the os.rmdir() method:
Example
Remove the folder "myfolder":
import os
os.rmdir("myfolder")
Note: You can only remove empty folders.
Python MySQL
Python can be used in database applications.
One of the most popular databases is MySQL.
MySQL Database
To be able to experiment with the code examples in this tutorial, you should have
MySQL installed on your computer.
You can download a free MySQL database at https://www.mysql.com/downloads/.
Install MySQL Driver

Python needs a MySQL driver to access the MySQL database.
In this tutorial we will use the driver "MySQL Connector".
We recommend that you use PIP to install "MySQL Connector".
PIP is most likely already installed in your Python environment.
Navigate your command line to the location of PIP, and type the following:
Download and install "MySQL Connector":
C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python36-32\Scripts>python -m
pip install mysql-connector
Now you have downloaded and installed a MySQL driver.
Test MySQL Connector

To test if the installation was successful, or if you already have "MySQL Connector"
installed, create a Python page with the following content:
demo_mysql_test.py:
import mysql.connector
If the above code was executed with no errors, "MySQL Connector" is installed and
ready to be used.
Create Connection
Start by creating a connection to the database.
Use the username and password from your MySQL database:
demo_mysql_connection.py:
mydb = mysql.connector.connect(
host="localhost",
user="yourusername",
passwd="yourpassword"
)
print(mydb)
Now you can start querying the database using SQL statements.
Python MySQL Create Database

Creating a Database
To create a database in MySQL, use the "CREATE DATABASE" statement:
Example
create a database named "mydatabase":
host="localhost",
)
mycursor = mydb.cursor()
mycursor.execute("CREATE DATABASE mydatabase")
If the above code was executed with no errors, you have successfully created a
database.
Check if Database Exists

You can check if a database exist by listing all databases in your system by using the
"SHOW DATABASES" statement:
Example
Return a list of your system's databases:
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("SHOW DATABASES")
for x in mycursor:
print(x)
Or you can try to access the database when making the connection:
Example
Try connecting to the database "mydatabase":
host="localhost",
passwd="yourpassword",
database="mydatabase"
)
If the database does not exist, you will get an error.
Python MySQL Create Table
Creating a Table
To create a table in MySQL, use the "CREATE TABLE" statement.
Make sure you define the name of the database when you create the connection
Example
Create a table named "customers":
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("CREATE TABLE customers (name VARCHAR(255), address

VARCHAR(255))")
If the above code was executed with no errors, you have now successfully created a
table.
Check if Table Exists

You can check if a table exist by listing all tables in your database with the "SHOW
TABLES" statement:
Example
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("SHOW TABLES")
for x in mycursor:
print(x)
Primary Key
When creating a table, you should also create a column with a unique key for each
record.
This can be done by defining a PRIMARY KEY.

We use the statement "INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY" which will insert a
unique number for each record. Starting at 1, and increased by one for each record.
Example
Create primary key when creating the table:
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("CREATE TABLE customers (id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,

name VARCHAR(255), address VARCHAR(255))")
If the table already exists, use the ALTER TABLE keyword:
Example
Create primary key on an existing table:
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("ALTER TABLE customers ADD COLUMN id INT AUTO_INCREMENT

PRIMARY KEY")
Python MySQL Insert Into Table

Insert Into Table
To fill a table in MySQL, use the "INSERT INTO" statement.
Example
Insert a record in the "customers" table:
host="localhost",
)
sql = "INSERT INTO customers (name, address) VALUES (%s, %s)"

val = ("John", "Highway 21")
mycursor.execute(sql, val)
mydb.commit()
print(mycursor.rowcount, "record inserted.")
Important!: Notice the statement: mydb.commit(). It is required to make the changes,

otherwise no changes are made to the table.
Insert Multiple Rows

To insert multiple rows into a table, use the executemany() method.
The second parameter of the executemany() method is a list of tuples, containing the
data you want to insert:
Example
Fill the "customers" table with data:
host="localhost",
)

val = [
('Peter', 'Lowstreet 4'),
('Amy', 'Apple st 652'),
('Hannah', 'Mountain 21'),
('Michael', 'Valley 345'),
('Sandy', 'Ocean blvd 2'),
('Betty', 'Green Grass 1'),
('Richard', 'Sky st 331'),
('Susan', 'One way 98'),
('Vicky', 'Yellow Garden 2'),
('Ben', 'Park Lane 38'),
('William', 'Central st 954'),
('Chuck', 'Main Road 989'),
('Viola', 'Sideway 1633')
]
mycursor.executemany(sql, val)
mydb.commit()
print(mycursor.rowcount, "was inserted.")
Get Inserted ID
You can get the id of the row you just inserted by asking the cursor object.
Note: If you insert more that one row, the id of the last inserted row is returned.
Example
Insert one row, and return the ID:
host="localhost",
)

val = ("Michelle", "Blue Village")
mydb.commit()
print("1 record inserted, ID:", mycursor.lastrowid)
Python MySQL Select From
Select From a Table

To select from a table in MySQL, use the "SELECT" statement:
Example
Select all records from the "customers" table, and display the result:
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("SELECT * FROM customers")
myresult = mycursor.fetchall()
for x in myresult:
print(x)
Note: We use the fetchall() method, which fetches all rows from the last executed
statement.
Selecting Columns
To select only some of the columns in a table, use the "SELECT" statement followed
by the column name(s):
Example
Select only the name and address columns:
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("SELECT name, address FROM customers")
for x in myresult:
print(x)
Using the fetchone() Method

If you are only interested in one row, you can use the fetchone() method.
The fetchone() method will return the first row of the result:
Example
Fetch only one row:
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("SELECT * FROM customers")
myresult = mycursor.fetchone()
print(myresult)
Python MySQL Where
Select With a Filter

When selecting records from a table, you can filter the selection by using the
"WHERE" statement:
Example
Select record(s) where the address is "Park Lane 38": result:
host="localhost",
)
sql = "SELECT * FROM customers WHERE address ='Park Lane 38'"

mycursor.execute(sql)
for x in myresult:
print(x)
Wildcard Characters
You can also select the records that starts, includes, or ends with a given letter or
phrase.
Use the % to represent wildcard characters:
Example
Select records where the address contains the word "way":
host="localhost",
)
sql = "SELECT * FROM customers WHERE address LIKE '%way%'"
for x in myresult:
print(x)
Prevent SQL Injection

When query values are provided by the user, you should escape the values.
This is to prevent SQL injections, which is a common web hacking technique to
destroy or misuse your database.
The mysql.connector module has methods to escape query values:
Example
Escape query values by using the placholder %s method:
host="localhost",
)
sql = "SELECT * FROM customers WHERE address = %s"

adr = ("Yellow Garden 2", )
mycursor.execute(sql, adr)
for x in myresult:
print(x)
Python MySQL Order By
Sort the Result

Use the ORDER BY statement to sort the result in ascending or descending order.
The ORDER BY keyword sorts the result ascending by default. To sort the result in
descending order, use the DESC keyword.
Example
Sort the result alphabetically by name: result:
host="localhost",
)
sql = "SELECT * FROM customers ORDER BY name"
for x in myresult:
print(x)
ORDER BY DESC
Use the DESC keyword to sort the result in a descending order.
Example
Sort the result reverse alphabetically by name:
host="localhost",
)
sql = "SELECT * FROM customers ORDER BY name DESC"
for x in myresult:
print(x)
Python MySQL Delete From By
Delete Record
You can delete records from an existing table by using the "DELETE FROM" statement:
Example
Delete any record where the address is "Mountain 21":
host="localhost",
)
sql = "DELETE FROM customers WHERE address = 'Mountain 21'"
mydb.commit()
print(mycursor.rowcount, "record(s) deleted")

Notice the WHERE clause in the DELETE syntax: The WHERE clause specifies
which record(s) that should be deleted. If you omit the WHERE clause, all records will
be deleted!
It is considered a good practice to escape the values of any query, also in delete
statements.

The mysql.connector module uses the placeholder %s to escape values in the delete
statement:
Example
Escape values by using the placeholder %s method:
host="localhost",
)
sql = "DELETE FROM customers WHERE address = %s"

adr = ("Yellow Garden 2", )
mycursor.execute(sql, adr)
mydb.commit()
print(mycursor.rowcount, "record(s) deleted")
Python MySQL Drop Table
Delete a Table
You can delete an existing table by using the "DROP TABLE" statement:
Example
Delete the table "customers":
host="localhost",
)
sql = "DROP TABLE customers"
Drop Only if Exist

If the the table you want to delete is already deleted, or for any other reason does not
exist, you can use the IF EXISTS keyword to avoid getting an error.
Example
Delete the table "customers" if it exists:
host="localhost",
)
sql = "DROP TABLE IF EXISTS customers"
Python MySQL Update Table
Update Table
You can update existing records in a table by using the "UPDATE" statement:
Example
Overwrite the address column from "Valley 345" to "Canyoun 123":
host="localhost",
)
sql = "UPDATE customers SET address = 'Canyon 123' WHERE address = 'Valley
345'"
mydb.commit()
print(mycursor.rowcount, "record(s) affected")

Notice the WHERE clause in the UPDATE syntax: The WHERE clause specifies
which record or records that should be updated. If you omit the WHERE clause, all
records will be updated!

It is considered a good practice to escape the values of any query, also in update
statements.
The mysql.connector module uses the placeholder %s to escape values in the delete
statement:
Example
Escape values by using the placholder %s method:
host="localhost",
)
sql = "UPDATE customers SET address = %s WHERE address = %s"

val = ("Valley 345", "Canyon 123")
mydb.commit()
print(mycursor.rowcount, "record(s) affected")
Python MySQL Limit
Limit the Result

You can limit the number of records returned from the query, by using the "LIMIT"
statement:
Example
Select the 5 first records in the "customers" table:
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("SELECT * FROM customers LIMIT 5")
for x in myresult:
print(x)
Start From Another Position

If you want to return five records, starting from the third record, you can use the
"OFFSET" keyword:
Example
Start from position 3, and return 5 records:
host="localhost",
)
mycursor.execute("SELECT * FROM customers LIMIT 5 OFFSET 2")
for x in myresult:
print(x)
Python MySQL Join
Join Two or More Tables

You can combine rows from two or more tables, based on a related column between
them, by using a JOIN statement.
Consider you have a "users" table and a "products" table:
users
{ id: 1, name: 'John', fav: 154},
{ id: 2, name: 'Peter', fav: 154},
{ id: 3, name: 'Amy', fav: 155},
{ id: 4, name: 'Hannah', fav:},
{ id: 5, name: 'Michael', fav:}
products
{ id: 154, name: 'Chocolate Heaven' },
{ id: 155, name: 'Tasty Lemons' },
{ id: 156, name: 'Vanilla Dreams' }
These two tables can be combined by using users' fav field and products' id field.
Example
Join users and products to see the name of the users favorite product:
host="localhost",
)
sql = "SELECT \
users.name AS user, \
products.name AS favorite \
FROM users \
INNER JOIN products ON users.fav = products.id"
for x in myresult:
print(x)
Note: You can use JOIN instead of INNER JOIN. They will both give you the same
result.
LEFT JOIN
In the example above, Hannah, and Michael were excluded from the result, that is
because INNER JOIN only shows the records where there is a match.
If you want to show all users, even if they do not have a favorite product, use the
LEFT JOIN statement:
Example
Select all users and their favorite product:
sql = "SELECT \
FROM users \
LEFT JOIN products ON users.fav = products.id"
RIGHT JOIN
If you want to return all products, and the users who have them as their favorite,
even if no user have them as their favorite, use the RIGHT JOIN statement:
Example
Select all products, and the user(s) who have them as their favorite:
sql = "SELECT \
FROM users \
RIGHT JOIN products ON users.fav = products.id"
Note: Hannah and Michael, who have no favorite product, are not included in the
result.
Python MongoDB
Python can be used in database applications.
One of the most popular NoSQL database is MongoDB.
MongoDB
MongoDB stores data in JSON-like documents, which makes the database very flexible
and scalable.
To be able to experiment with the code examples in this tutorial, you will need access
to a MongoDB database.
You can download a free MongoDB database at https://www.mongodb.com.
PyMongo
Python needs a MongoDB driver to access the MongoDB database.
In this tutorial we will use the MongoDB driver "PyMongo".
We recommend that you use PIP to install "PyMongo".
PIP is most likely already installed in your Python environment.
Download and install "PyMongo":

C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python36-32\Scripts>python -m
pip install pymongo
Now you have downloaded and installed a mongoDB driver.
Test PyMongo
To test if the installation was successful, or if you already have "pymongo" installed,
create a Python page with the following content:
demo_mongodb_test.py:
import pymongo
If the above code was executed with no errors, "pymongo" is installed and ready to be
used.
Python MongoDB Create

Database
Creating a Database
To create a database in MongoDB, start by creating a MongoClient object, then specify
a connection URL with the correct ip address and the name of the database you want
to create.
MongoDB will create the database if it does not exist, and make a connection to it.
Example
Create a database called "mydatabase":
import pymongo
myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
Important: In MongoDB, a database is not created until it gets content!
MongoDB waits until you have created a collection (table), with at least one document
(record) before it actually creates the database (and collection).
Check if Database Exists

Remember: In MongoDB, a database is not created until it gets content, so if this is
your first time creating a database, you should complete the next two chapters
(create collection and create document) before you check if the database exists!
You can check if a database exist by listing all databases in you system:
Example
print(myclient.list_database_names())
Or you can check a specific database by name:
Example
Check if "mydatabase" exists:
dblist = myclient.list_database_names()
if "mydatabase" in dblist:
print("The database exists.")
Python MongoDB Create

Collection
A collection in MongoDB is the same as a table in SQL databases.
Creating a Collection
To create a collection in MongoDB, use database object and specify the name of the
collection you want to create.
MongoDB will create the collection if it does not exist.
Example
Create a collection called "customers":
import pymongo
mycol = mydb["customers"]
Important: In MongoDB, a collection is not created until it gets content!
MongoDB waits until you have inserted a document before it actually creates the
collection.
Check if Collection Exists

Remember: In MongoDB, a collection is not created until it gets content, so if this is
your first time creating a collection, you should complete the next chapter (create
document) before you check if the collection exists!
You can check if a collection exist in a database by listing all collections:
Example
Return a list of all collections in your database:
print(mydb.list_collection_names())
Or you can check a specific collection by name:
Example
Check if the "customers" collection exists:
collist = mydb.list_collection_names()
if "customers" in collist:
print("The collection exists.")
Python MongoDB Insert

Document
A document in MongoDB is the same as a record in SQL databases.
Insert Into Collection

To insert a record, or document as it is called in MongoDB, into a collection, we use
the insert_one() method.
The first parameter of the insert_one() method is a dictionary containing the name(s)
and value(s) of each field in the document you want to insert.
Example
Insert a record in the "customers" collection:
import pymongo
mydict = { "name": "John", "address": "Highway 37" }
x = mycol.insert_one(mydict)
Return the _id Field

The insert_one() method returns a InsertOneResult object, which has a
property, inserted_id, that holds the id of the inserted document.
Example
Insert another record in the "customers" collection, and return the value of
the _id field:
mydict = { "name": "Peter", "address": "Lowstreet 27" }
x = mycol.insert_one(mydict)
print(x.inserted_id)
If you do not specify an _id field, then MongoDB will add one for you and assign a
unique id for each document.
In the example above no _id field was specified, so MongoDB assigned a unique _id
for the record (document).
Insert Multiple Documents

To insert multiple documents into a collection in MongoDB, we use
the insert_many() method.
The first parameter of the insert_many() method is a list containing dictionaries with
the data you want to insert:
Example
import pymongo
mylist = [
{ "name": "Amy", "address": "Apple st 652"},
{ "name": "Hannah", "address": "Mountain 21"},
{ "name": "Michael", "address": "Valley 345"},
{ "name": "Sandy", "address": "Ocean blvd 2"},
{ "name": "Betty", "address": "Green Grass 1"},
{ "name": "Richard", "address": "Sky st 331"},
{ "name": "Susan", "address": "One way 98"},
{ "name": "Vicky", "address": "Yellow Garden 2"},
{ "name": "Ben", "address": "Park Lane 38"},
{ "name": "William", "address": "Central st 954"},
{ "name": "Chuck", "address": "Main Road 989"},
{ "name": "Viola", "address": "Sideway 1633"}
]
x = mycol.insert_many(mylist)
#print list of the _id values of the inserted documents:
print(x.inserted_ids)
The insert_many() method returns a InsertManyResult object, which has a

property, inserted_ids, that holds the ids of the inserted documents.
Insert Multiple Documents, with Specified IDs

If you do not want MongoDB to assign unique ids for you document, you can specify
the _id field when you insert the document(s).
Remember that the values has to be unique. Two documents cannot have the same
_id.
Example
import pymongo
mylist = [
{ "_id": 1, "name": "John", "address": "Highway 37"},
{ "_id": 2, "name": "Peter", "address": "Lowstreet 27"},
{ "_id": 3, "name": "Amy", "address": "Apple st 652"},
{ "_id": 4, "name": "Hannah", "address": "Mountain 21"},
{ "_id": 5, "name": "Michael", "address": "Valley 345"},
{ "_id": 6, "name": "Sandy", "address": "Ocean blvd 2"},
{ "_id": 7, "name": "Betty", "address": "Green Grass 1"},
{ "_id": 8, "name": "Richard", "address": "Sky st 331"},
{ "_id": 9, "name": "Susan", "address": "One way 98"},
{ "_id": 10, "name": "Vicky", "address": "Yellow Garden 2"},
{ "_id": 11, "name": "Ben", "address": "Park Lane 38"},
{ "_id": 12, "name": "William", "address": "Central st 954"},
{ "_id": 13, "name": "Chuck", "address": "Main Road 989"},
{ "_id": 14, "name": "Viola", "address": "Sideway 1633"}
]
x = mycol.insert_many(mylist)
#print list of the _id values of the inserted documents:

print(x.inserted_ids)
Python MongoDB Find
In MongoDB we use the find and findOne methods to find data in a collection.
Just like the SELECT statement is used to find data in a table in a MySQL database.
Find One
To select data from a collection in MongoDB, we can use the find_one() method.
The find_one() method returns the first occurrence in the selection.
Example
Find the first document in the customers collection:
import pymongo
x = mycol.find_one()
print(x)
Find All
To select data from a table in MongoDB, we can also use the find() method.
The find() method returns all occurrences in the selection.
The first parameter of the find() method is a query object. In this example we use an
empty query object, which selects all documents in the collection.
No parameters in the find() method gives you the same result as SELECT * in
MySQL.
Example
Return all documents in the "customers" collection, and print each document:
import pymongo
for x in mycol.find():
print(x)
Return Only Some Fields

The second parameter of the find() method is an object describing which fields to
include in the result.
This parameter is optional, and if omitted, all fields will be included in the result.
Example
Return only the names and addresses, not the _ids:
import pymongo
for x in mycol.find({},{ "_id": 0, "name": 1, "address": 1 }):

print(x)
You are not allowed to specify both 0 and 1 values in the same object (except if one
of the fields is the _id field). If you specify a field with the value 0, all other fields get
the value 1, and vice versa:
Example
This example will exclude "address" from the result:
import pymongo
for x in mycol.find({},{ "address": 0 }):

print(x)
Example
You get an error if you specify both 0 and 1 values in the same object (except if one
of the fields is the _id field):
import pymongo
for x in mycol.find({},{ "name": 1, "address": 0 }):

print(x)
Python MongoDB Query
Filter the Result

When finding documents in a collection, you can filter the result by using a query
object.
The first argument of the find() method is a query object, and is used to limit the
search.
Example
Find document(s) with the address "Park Lane 38":
import pymongo
myquery = { "address": "Park Lane 38" }
mydoc = mycol.find(myquery)
for x in mydoc:
print(x)
Advanced Query
To make advanced queries you can use modifiers as values in the query object.
E.g. to find the documents where the "address" field starts with the letter "S" or
higher (alphabetically), use the greater than modifier: {"$gt": "S"}:
Example
Find documents where the address starts with the letter "S" or higher:
import pymongo
myquery = { "address": { "$gt": "S" } }
for x in mydoc:
print(x)
Filter With Regular Expressions

You can also use regular expressions as a modifier.
Regular expressions can only be used to query strings.
To find only the documents where the "address" field starts with the letter "S", use
the regular expression {"$regex": "^S"}:
Example
Find documents where the address starts with the letter "S":
import pymongo
myquery = { "address": { "$regex": "^S" } }
for x in mydoc:
print(x)
Python MongoDB Sort
Sort the Result

Use the sort() method to sort the result in ascending or descending order.
The sort() method takes one parameter for "fieldname" and one parameter for
"direction" (ascending is the default direction).
Example
Sort the result alphabetically by name:
import pymongo
mydoc = mycol.find().sort("name")
for x in mydoc:
print(x)
Sort Descending
Use the value -1 as the second parameter to sort descending.
sort("name", 1) #ascending
sort("name", -1) #descending
Example
Sort the result reverse alphabetically by name:
import pymongo
mydoc = mycol.find().sort("name", -1)
for x in mydoc:
print(x)
Python MongoDB Delete

Document
Delete Document
To delete one document, we use the delete_one() method.
The first parameter of the delete_one() method is a query object defining which
document to delete.
Note: If the query finds more than one document, only the first occurrence is deleted.
Example
Delete the document with the address "Mountain 21":
import pymongo
myquery = { "address": "Mountain 21" }
mycol.delete_one(myquery)
Delete Many Documents
To delete more than one document, use the delete_many() method.
The first parameter of the delete_many() method is a query object defining which
documents to delete.
Example
Delete all documents were the address starts with the letter S:
import pymongo
myquery = { "address": {"$regex": "^S"} }
x = mycol.delete_many(myquery)
print(x.deleted_count, " documents deleted.")
Delete All Documents in a Collection

To delete all documents in a collection, pass an empty query object to
the delete_many() method:
Example
Delete all documents in the "customers" collection:
import pymongo
x = mycol.delete_many({})
print(x.deleted_count, " documents deleted.")

Python MongoDB Drop
Collection
Delete Collection
You can delete a table, or collection as it is called in MongoDB, by using
the drop() method.
Example
Delete the "customers" collection:
import pymongo
mycol.drop()
The drop() method returns true if the collection was dropped successfully, and false if
the collection does not exist.
Python MongoDB Update
Update Collection
You can update a record, or document as it is called in MongoDB, by using
the update_one() method.
The first parameter of the update_one() method is a query object defining which
document to update.
Note: If the query finds more than one record, only the first occurrence is updated.
The second parameter is an object defining the new values of the document.
Example
Change the address from "Valley 345" to "Canyon 123":
import pymongo
myquery = { "address": "Valley 345" }

newvalues = { "$set": { "address": "Canyon 123" } }
mycol.update_one(myquery, newvalues)
#print "customers" after the update:

for x in mycol.find():
print(x)
Update Many
To update all documents that meets the criteria of the query, use
the update_many() method.
Example
Update all documents where the address starts with the letter "S":
import pymongo
myquery = { "address": { "$regex": "^S" } }

newvalues = { "$set": { "name": "Minnie" } }
x = mycol.update_many(myquery, newvalues)
print(x.modified_count, "documents updated.")

Python MongoDB Limit
Limit the Result

To limit the result in MongoDB, we use the limit() method.
The limit() method takes one parameter, a number defining how many documents to
return.
Consider you have a "customers" collection:
Customers
{'_id': 1, 'name': 'John', 'address': 'Highway37'}
{'_id': 2, 'name': 'Peter', 'address': 'Lowstreet 27'}
{'_id': 3, 'name': 'Amy', 'address': 'Apple st 652'}
{'_id': 4, 'name': 'Hannah', 'address': 'Mountain 21'}
{'_id': 5, 'name': 'Michael', 'address': 'Valley 345'}
{'_id': 6, 'name': 'Sandy', 'address': 'Ocean blvd 2'}
{'_id': 7, 'name': 'Betty', 'address': 'Green Grass 1'}
{'_id': 8, 'name': 'Richard', 'address': 'Sky st 331'}
{'_id': 9, 'name': 'Susan', 'address': 'One way 98'}
{'_id': 10, 'name': 'Vicky', 'address': 'Yellow Garden 2'}
{'_id': 11, 'name': 'Ben', 'address': 'Park Lane 38'}
{'_id': 12, 'name': 'William', 'address': 'Central st 954'}
{'_id': 13, 'name': 'Chuck', 'address': 'Main Road 989'}
{'_id': 14, 'name': 'Viola', 'address': 'Sideway 1633'}
Example
Limit the result to only return 5 documents:
import pymongo
myresult = mycol.find().limit(5)
#print the result:

for x in myresult:
print(x)
Python Built in Functions
Python has a set of built-in functions.
Function Description
abs() Returns the absolute value of a number
all() Returns True if all items in an iterable object are true
any() Returns True if any item in an iterable object is true
ascii() Returns a readable version of an object. Replaces none-ascii

characters with escape character
bin() Returns the binary version of a number
bool() Returns the boolean value of the specified object
bytearray() Returns an array of bytes
bytes() Returns a bytes object
callable() Returns True if the specified object is callable, otherwise False

chr() Returns a character from the specified Unicode code.
classmethod() Converts a method into a class method
compile() Returns the specified source as an object, ready to be executed
complex() Returns a complex number
delattr() Deletes the specified attribute (property or method) from the

specified object
dict() Returns a dictionary (Array)
dir() Returns a list of the specified object's properties and methods
divmod() Returns the quotient and the remainder when argument1 is

divided by argument2
enumerate() Takes a collection (e.g. a tuple) and returns it as an enumerate

object
eval() Evaluates and executes an expression
exec() Executes the specified code (or object)

filter() Use a filter function to exclude items in an iterable object
float() Returns a floating point number
format() Formats a specified value
frozenset() Returns a frozenset object
getattr() Returns the value of the specified attribute (property or method)
globals() Returns the current global symbol table as a dictionary
hasattr() Returns True if the specified object has the specified attribute
(property/method)
hash() Returns the hash value of a specified object
help() Executes the built-in help system
hex() Converts a number into a hexadecimal value
id() Returns the id of an object
input() Allowing user input

int() Returns an integer number
isinstance() Returns True if a specified object is an instance of a specified

object
issubclass() Returns True if a specified class is a subclass of a specified object
iter() Returns an iterator object
len() Returns the length of an object
list() Returns a list
locals() Returns an updated dictionary of the current local symbol table
map() Returns the specified iterator with the specified function applied
to each item
max() Returns the largest item in an iterable
memoryview() Returns a memory view object
min() Returns the smallest item in an iterable
next() Returns the next item in an iterable

object() Returns a new object
oct() Converts a number into an octal
open() Opens a file and returns a file object
ord() Convert an integer representing the Unicode of the specified

character
pow() Returns the value of x to the power of y
print() Prints to the standard output device
property() Gets, sets, deletes a property
range() Returns a sequence of numbers, starting from 0 and increments

by 1 (by default)
repr() Returns a readable version of an object
reversed() Returns a reversed iterator
round() Rounds a numbers
set() Returns a new set object

setattr() Sets an attribute (property/method) of an object
slice() Returns a slice object
sorted() Returns a sorted list
@staticmethod() Converts a method into a static method
str() Returns a string object
sum() Sums the items of an iterator
super() Returns an object that represents the parent class
tuple() Returns a tuple
type() Returns the type of an object
vars() Returns the __dict__ property of an object
zip() Returns an iterator, from two or more iterators

Python String Methods
Method Description
capitalize() Converts the first character to upper case
casefold() Converts string into lower case
center() Returns a centered string
count() Returns the number of times a specified value occurs in a string
encode() Returns an encoded version of the string
endswith() Returns true if the string ends with the specified value
expandtabs() Sets the tab size of the string
find() Searches the string for a specified value and returns the position of
where it was found
format() Formats specified values in a string
format_map() Formats specified values in a string
index() Searches the string for a specified value and returns the position of
where it was found
isalnum() Returns True if all characters in the string are alphanumeric
isalpha() Returns True if all characters in the string are in the alphabet
isdecimal() Returns True if all characters in the string are decimals
isdigit() Returns True if all characters in the string are digits
isidentifier() Returns True if the string is an identifier
islower() Returns True if all characters in the string are lower case
isnumeric() Returns True if all characters in the string are numeric
isprintable() Returns True if all characters in the string are printable
isspace() Returns True if all characters in the string are whitespaces

istitle() Returns True if the string follows the rules of a title
isupper() Returns True if all characters in the string are upper case
join() Joins the elements of an iterable to the end of the string
ljust() Returns a left justified version of the string
lower() Converts a string into lower case
lstrip() Returns a left trim version of the string
maketrans() Returns a translation table to be used in translations
partition() Returns a tuple where the string is parted into three parts
replace() Returns a string where a specified value is replaced with a specified

value
rfind() Searches the string for a specified value and returns the last
position of where it was found
rindex() Searches the string for a specified value and returns the last
rjust() Returns a right justified version of the string
rpartition() Returns a tuple where the string is parted into three parts
rsplit() Splits the string at the specified separator, and returns a list
rstrip() Returns a right trim version of the string
split() Splits the string at the specified separator, and returns a list
splitlines() Splits the string at line breaks and returns a list
startswith() Returns true if the string starts with the specified value
strip() Returns a trimmed version of the string
swapcase() Swaps cases, lower case becomes upper case and vice versa
title() Converts the first character of each word to upper case
translate() Returns a translated string
upper() Converts a string into upper case

zfill() Fills the string with a specified number of 0 values at the beginning
Python List/Array Methods
Python has a set of built-in methods that you can use on lists/arrays.
Method Description

remove() Removes the first item with the specified value
instead.
Python 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 values

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
Python Tuple Methods
Python has two built-in methods that you can use on tuples.
Method Description
count() Returns the number of times a specified value occurs in a
tuple
index() Searches the tuple for a specified value and returns the
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 set
discard() Remove the specified item
intersection() Returns a set, that is the intersection of two

other sets
intersection_update() Removes the items in this set that are not

present in other, specified set(s)
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 the union of this set and
others
Python File Methods
Python has a set of methods available for the file object.
Method Description
close() Closes the file
detach() Returns the separated raw stream from the buffer
fileno() Returns a number that represents the stream, from the operating
system's perspective
flush() Flushes the internal buffer
isatty() Returns whether the file stream is interactive or not

read() Returns the file content
readable() Returns whether the file stream can be read or not
readline() Returns one line from the file
readlines() Returns a list of lines from the file
seek() Change the file position
seekable() Returns whether the file allows us to change the file position
tell() Returns the current file position
truncate() Resizes the file to a specified size
writeable() Returns whether the file can be written to or not
write() Writes the specified string to the file
writelines() Writes a list of strings to the file

Python Keywords
Python has a set of keywords that are reserved words that cannot be used as variable
names, function names, or any other identifiers:
Method Description
and A logical operator
as To create an alias
assert For debugging
break To break out of a loop
class To define a class
continue To continue to the next iteration of a loop
def To define a function
del To delete an object
elif Used in conditional statements, same as else if

else Used in conditional statements
except Used with exceptions, what to do when an exception occurs
False Boolean value, result of comparison operations
finally Used with exceptions, a block of code that will be executed no matter if
there is an exception or not
for To create a for loop
from To import specific parts of a module
global To declare a global variable
if To make a conditional statement
import To import a module
in To check if a value is present in a list, tuple, etc.
is To test if two variables are equal
lambda To create an anonymous function

None Represents a null value
nonlocal To declare a non-local variable
not A logical operator
or A logical operator
pass A null statement, a statement that will do nothing
raise To raise an exception
return To exit a function and return a value
True Boolean value, result of comparison operations
try To make a try...except statement
while To create a while loop
with Used to simplify exception handling
yield To end a function, returns a generator

Python Random Module
Python has a built-in module that you can use to make random numbers.
The random module has a set of methods:
Method Description
seed() Initialize the random number generator
getstate() Returns the current internal state of the random number

generator
setstate() Restores the internal state of the random number generator
getrandbits() Returns a number representing the random bits
randrange() Returns a random number between the given range
randint() Returns a random number between the given range
choice() Returns a random element from the given sequence

choices() Returns a list with a random selection from the given sequence
shuffle() Takes a sequence and returns the sequence in a random order
sample() Returns a given sample of a sequence
random() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1
uniform() Returns a random float number between two given parameters
triangular() Returns a random float number between two given

parameters, you can also set a mode parameter to specify the
midpoint between the two other parameters
betavariate() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1 based on the

Beta distribution (used in statistics)
expovariate() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1, or between 0

and -1 if the parameter is negative, based on the Exponential
distribution (used in statistics)
gammavariate() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1 based on the

Gamma distribution (used in statistics)
gauss() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1 based on the

Gaussian distribution (used in probability theories)
lognormvariate() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1 based on a
log-normal distribution (used in probability theories)
normalvariate() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1 based on the

normal distribution (used in probability theories)
vonmisesvariate() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1 based on the

von Mises distribution (used in directional statistics)
paretovariate() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1 based on the

Pareto distribution (used in probability theories)
weibullvariate() Returns a random float number between 0 and 1 based on the

Weibull distribution (used in statistics)
Python Requests Module
Example
Make a request to a web page, and print the response text:
import requests
x = requests.get('https://w3schools.com/python/demopage.htm')
print(x.text)
Definition and Usage

The requests module allows you to send HTTP requests using Python.
The HTTP request returns a Response Object with all the response data (content,
encoding, status, etc).
Download and Install the Requests Module

install requests
Syntax
requests.methodname(params)
Methods
Method Description
delete(url, args) Sends a DELETE request to the specified url
get(url, params, args) Sends a GET request to the specified url
head(url, args) Sends a HEAD request to the specified url
patch(url, data, args) Sends a PATCH request to the specified url

post(url, data, json, args) Sends a POST request to the specified url
put(url, data, args) Sends a PUT request to the specified url
request(method, url, args) Sends a request of the specified method to the specified url
How to Remove Duplicates From

a Python List
Learn how to remove duplicates from a List in Python.
Example
Remove any duplicates from a List:
mylist = ["a", "b", "a", "c", "c"]

mylist = list(dict.fromkeys(mylist))
print(mylist)
Example Explained
First we have a List that contains duplicates:
A List with Duplicates

mylist = ["a", "b", "a", "c", "c"]
print(mylist)
Create a dictionary, using the List items as keys. This will automatically remove any
duplicates because dictionaries cannot have duplicate keys.
Create a Dictionary
mylist = ["a", "b", "a", "c", "c"]
mylist = list( dict.fromkeys(mylist) )
print(mylist)
Then, convert the dictionary back into a list:
Convert Into a List

mylist = ["a", "b", "a", "c", "c"]
mylist = list( dict.fromkeys(mylist) )
print(mylist)
Now we have a List without any duplicates, and it has the same order as the original
List.
Print the List to demonstrate the result
Print the List

mylist = ["a", "b", "a", "c", "c"]
print(mylist)
Create a Function
If you like to have a function where you can send your lists, and get them back
without duplicates, you can create a function and insert the code from the example
above.
Example
def my_function(x):
return list(dict.fromkeys(x))
mylist = my_function(["a", "b", "a", "c", "c"])
print(mylist)
Example Explained
Create a function that takes a List as an argument.
Create a Function
def my_function(x):
print(mylist)
Create a dictionary, using this List items as keys.
Create a Dictionary
def my_function(x):
return list( dict.fromkeys(x) )
print(mylist)
Convert the dictionary into a list.
Convert Into a List

def my_function(x):
return list( dict.fromkeys(x) )
print(mylist)
Return the list
Return List
def my_function(x):
print(mylist)
Call the function, with a list as a parameter:

Call the Function
def my_function(x):
print(mylist)
Print the result:
Print the Result

def my_function(x):
print(mylist)
How to Reverse a String in

Python
Learn how to reverse a String in Python.
There is no built-in function to reverse a String in Python.
The fastest (and easiest?) way is to use a slice that steps backwards, -1.
Example
Reverse the string "Hello World":
txt = "Hello World"[::-1]

print(txt)
Example Explained
We have a string, "Hello World", which we want to reverse:
The String to Reverse

txt = "Hello World" [::-1]
print(txt)
Create a slice that starts at the end of the string, and moves backwards.
In this particular example, the slice statement [::-1] means start at the end of the
string and end at position 0, move with the step -1, negative one, which means one
step backwards.
Slice the String

txt = "Hello World" [::-1]
print(txt)
Now we have a string txt that reads "Hello World" backwards.
Print the String to demonstrate the result
Print the List

txt = "Hello World"[::-1]
print(txt)
Create a Function
If you like to have a function where you can send your strings, and return them
backwards, you can create a function and insert the code from the example above.
Example
def my_function(x):
return x[::-1]
mytxt = my_function("I wonder how this text looks like backwards")

print(mytxt)
Example Explained
Create a function that takes a String as an argument.
Create a Function
def my_function(x):
return x[::-1]
print(mytxt)
Slice the string starting at the end of the string and move backwards.
Slice the String

def my_function(x):
return x [::-1]
print(mytxt)
Return the backward String
Return the String

def my_function(x):
return x[::-1]
print(mytxt )
Call the function, with a string as a parameter:
Call the Function

def my_function(x):
return x[::-1]

print(mytxt)
Print the result:
Print the Result

def my_function(x):
return x[::-1]
print(mytxt)
Python Examples
Python Syntax
Print "Hello World"Comments in PythonDocstrings
Python Variables
Create a variableOutput both text and a variableAdd a variable to another variable
Python Numbers
Verify the type of an objectCreate integersCreate floating point numbersCreate
scientific numbers with an "e" to indicate the power of 10Create complex numbers
Python Casting
Casting - IntegersCasting - FloatsCasting - Strings
Python Strings
Get the character at position 1 of a stringSubstring. Get the characters from position 2
to position 5 (not included)Remove whitespace from the beginning or at the end of a
stringReturn the length of a stringConvert a string to lower caseConvert a string to
upper caseReplace a string with another stringSplit a string into substrings
Python Operators
Addition operatorSubtraction operatorMultiplication operatorDivision operatorModulus
operatorAssignment operator
Python Lists
Create a listAccess list itemsChange the value of a list itemLoop through a listCheck if
a list item existsGet the length of a listAdd an item to the end of a listAdd an item at a
specified indexRemove an itemRemove the last itemRemove an item at a specified
indexEmpty a listUsing the list() constructor to make a list
Python Tuples
Create a tupleAccess tuple itemsChange tuple valuesLoop through a tupleCheck if a
tuple item existsGet the length of a tupleDelete a tupleUsing the tuple() constructor to
create a tuple
Python Sets
Create a setLoop through a setCheck if an item existsAdd an item to a setAdd multiple
items to a setGet the length of a setRemove an item in a setRemove an item in a set
by using the discard() methodRemove the last item in a set by using the pop()
methodEmpty a setDelete a setUsing the set() constructor to create a set
Python Dictionaries
Create a dictionaryAccess the items of a dictionaryChange the value of a specific item
in a dictionaryPrint all key names in a dictionary, one by onePrint all values in a
dictionary, one by oneUsing the values() function to return values of a dictionaryLoop
through both keys an values, by using the items() functionCheck if a key existsGet
the length of a dictionaryAdd an item to a dictionaryRemove an item from a
dictionaryEmpty a dictionaryUsing the dict() constructor to create a dictionary
Python If ... Else

The if statementThe elif statementThe else statementShort hand ifShort hand if ...
elseThe and keywordThe or keyword
If ... Else Explained
Python While Loop

The while loopUsing the break statement in a while loopUsing the continue statement
in a while loop
While Loop Explained
Python For Loop

The for loopLoop through a stringUsing the break statement in a for loopUsing the
continue statement in a for loopUsing the range() function in a for loopElse in for
loopNested for loop
For Loop Explained
Python Functions
Create and call a functionFunction parametersDefault parameter valueLet a function
return a valueRecursion
Functions Explained
Python Lambda
A lambda function that adds 10 to the number passed in as an argumentA lambda
function that multiplies argument a with argument bA lambda function that sums
argument a, b, and c
Lambda Explained
Python Arrays
Create an arrayAccess the elements of an arrayChange the value of an array
elementGet the length of an arrayLoop through all elements of an arrayAdd an
element to an arrayRemove an element from an array
Arrays Explained
Python Classes and Objects

Create a classCreate an objectThe __init__() FunctionCreate object methodsThe self
parameterModify object propertiesDelete object propertiesDelete an object
Classes/Objects Explained
Python Iterators
Return an iterator from a tupleReturn an iterator from a stringLoop through an
iteratorCreate an iteratorStop iteration
Iterators Explained
Python Modules
Use a moduleVariables in moduleRe-naming a moduleBuilt-in modulesUsing the dir()
functionImport from module
Modules Explained
Python Dates
Import the datetime module and display the current dateReturn the year and name of
weekdayCreate a date objectThe strftime() Method
Dates Explained
Python JSON
Convert from JSON to PythonConvert from Python to JSONConvert Python objects into
JSON stringsConvert a Python object containing all the legal data typesUse the indent
parameter to define the numbers of indentsUse the separators parameter to change
the default separatorUse the sort_keys parameter to specify if the result should be
sorted or not
JSON Explained
Python RegEx
Search a string to see if it starts with "The" and ends with "Spain"Using the findall()
functionUsing the search() functionUsing the split() functionUsing the sub() function
RegEx Explained
Python PIP
Using a package
PIP Explained
Python Try Except

When an error occurs, print a messageMany exceptionsUse the else keyword to define
a block of code to be executed if no errors were raisedUse the finally block to execute
code regardless if the try block raises an error or not
Try Except Explained
Python Files
Read a fileRead only parts of a fileRead one line of a fileLoop through the lines of a file
to read the whole file, line by line
Files Explained
Python MySQL
Create a connection to a databaseCreate a database in MySQLCheck if a database
existCreate a tableCheck if a table existCreate primary key when creating a
tableInsert a record in a tableInsert multiple rowsGet inserted IDSelect all records
from a tableSelect only some of the columns in a tableUse the fetchone() method to
fetch only one row in a tableSelect with a filterWildcards charactersPrevent SQL
injectionSort the result of a table alphabeticallySort the result in a descending order
(reverse alphabetically)Delete records from an existing tablePrevent SQL
injectionDelete an existing tableDelete a table if it existUpdate existing records in a
tablePrevent SQL injectionLimit the number of records returned from a queryCombine
rows from two or more tables, based on a related column between themLEFT
JOINRIGHT JOIN
MySQL Explained
Python MongoDB
Create a databaseCheck if a database existCreate a collectionCheck if a collection
existInsert into collectionReturn the id fieldInsert multiple documentsInsert multiple
documents with specified IDsFind the first document in the selectionFind all
documents in the selectionFind only some fieldsFilter the resultAdvanced queryFilter
with regular expressionsSort the result alphabeticallySort the result descending
(reverse alphabetically)Delete documentDelete many documentsDelete all documents
in a collectionDelete a collectionUpdate a documentUpdate many/all documentsLimit
the result
MongoDB Explained
W3Schools' Online Certification
The perfect solution for professionals who need to balance work, family, and career
building.
More than 25 000 certificates already issued!
Get Your Certificate »
The HTML Certificate documents your knowledge of HTML.
The CSS Certificate documents your knowledge of advanced CSS.
The JavaScript Certificate documents your knowledge of JavaScript and HTML DOM.
The Python Certificate documents your knowledge of Python.
The jQuery Certificate documents your knowledge of jQuery.
The SQL Certificate documents your knowledge of SQL.
The PHP Certificate documents your knowledge of PHP and MySQL.
The XML Certificate documents your knowledge of XML, XML DOM and XSLT.
The Bootstrap Certificate documents your knowledge of the Bootstrap framework.

Python W3 School

Uploaded by

Python W3 School

Uploaded by

What is Python?

 web development (server-side),

What can Python do?

Python Syntax compared to other programming languages

C:\Users\Your Name>python --version

C:\Users\Your Name>python helloworld.py

Where "helloworld.py" is the name of your python file.

The output should read:

The Python Command Line

Type the following on the Windows, Mac or Linux command line:

Which will write "Hello, World!" in the command line:

>>> print("Hello, World!")

C:\Users\Your Name>python myfile.py

Python uses indentation to indicate a block of code.

Python will give you an error if you skip the indentation:

The number of spaces is up to you as a programmer, but it has to be at least one.

Python has no command for declaring a variable.

Comments can be used to explain Python code.

Comments can be used to make the code more readable.

Comments can be used to prevent execution when testing code.

Multi Line Comments

To add a multiline comment you could insert a # for each line:

Or, not quite as intended, you can use a multiline string.

Unlike other programming languages, Python has no command for declaring a

A variable is created the moment you first assign a value to it.

String variables can be declared either by using single or double quotes:

 A variable name must start with a letter or the underscore character

Remember that variable names are case-sensitive

Assign Value to Multiple Variables

To combine both text and a variable, Python uses the + character:

For numbers, the + character works as a mathematical operator:

The global Keyword

Python Data Types

Built-in Data Types

Text Type: str

Numeric Types: int, float, complex

Sequence Types: list, tuple, range

Mapping Type: dict

Set Types: set, frozenset

Boolean Type: bool

Binary Types: bytes, bytearray, memoryview

Getting the Data Type

Setting the Data Type

Example Data Type Try it

x = 20.5 float Try it »

x = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"] list Try it »

x = ("apple", "banana", "cherry") tuple Try it »

x = range(6) range Try it »

x = {"name" : "John", "age" : 36} dict Try it »

x = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"} set Try it »

x = frozenset({"apple", "banana", "cherry"}) frozenset Try it »

x = True bool Try it »

x = b"Hello" bytes Try it »

x = memoryview(bytes(5)) memoryview Try it »

Setting the Specific Data Type

Example Data Type Try it

x = str("Hello World") str Try it »

x = int(20) int Try it »

x = float(20.5) float Try it »

x = complex(1j) complex Try it »

x = list(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) list Try it »

x = tuple(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) tuple Try it »

x = dict(name="John", age=36) dict Try it »

x = set(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) set Try it »

x = frozenset(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) frozenset Try it »

x = bool(5) bool Try it »

x = bytes(5) bytes Try it »

x = bytearray(5) bytearray Try it »

x = memoryview(bytes(5)) memoryview Try it »

#convert from int to float:

#convert from float to int:

#convert from int to complex:

Specify a Variable Type

Casting in python is therefore done using constructor functions:

x = float(1) # x will be 1.0

x = str("s1") # x will be 's1'

= x = 3 x = x ** 3 Try it »