Reference library

Python Code Samples

Easy snippets you can copy, study, and run in the browser editor.

40 matches
Algorithms & data structures easy

How to Sort Array by Parity (Even Before Odd) in Python

Rearrange an array so all even numbers appear before all odd numbers using a simple two-list partition approach.

array sorting partition
Python
def sort_array_by_parity(nums):
    """
    Rearrange the array so that all even integers come first,
    followed by all odd integers. The order within even and odd
    groups is not required to be sorted.
    """
    even = []
    odd = []
    
    for num in nums:
        if num % 2 == 0:
            even.append(nu…
13 0 Open
Algorithms & data structures easy

Merge Two Sorted Arrays Without Extra Space in Python

Merge two sorted arrays in-place from the end, using the trailing zeros in the first array to avoid extra space.

merge in-place arrays
Python
def merge_sorted(arr1, arr2):
    m, n = len(arr1), len(arr2)
    i, j = m - 1, n - 1
    while j >= 0:
        if i >= 0 and arr1[i] > arr2[j]:
            arr1[i + j + 1] = arr1[i]
            i -= 1
        else:
            arr1[i + j + 1] = arr2[j]
            j -= 1
    return arr1


if __name__ == "__main__":
 …
15 0 Open
Algorithms & data structures easy

Rearrange array alternately max min in Python

Rearranges a sorted list so its elements alternate between the current maximum and current minimum using two pointers in O(n) time.

two-pointers array sorting
Python
def rearrange_alternately(arr):
    """
    Rearrange sorted array so elements alternate: max, min, next max, next min...
    Returns a new list in O(n) time using O(n) space.
    """
    n = len(arr)
    result = []
    left, right = 0, n - 1
    while left <= right:
        if left == right:
            result.appen…
14 0 Open
Algorithms & data structures easy

Sort Unique Values by Frequency in Python

Count element frequencies with Counter and sort unique values by descending frequency, breaking ties alphabetically.

counter sorting frequency
Python
from collections import Counter

def sort_unique_by_frequency(values):
    counts = Counter(values)
    return sorted(counts.keys(), key=lambda x: (-counts[x], x))

if __name__ == "__main__":
    data = [4, 2, 2, 8, 3, 3, 1, 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 1]
    result = sort_unique_by_frequency(data)
    print(f"Sorted unique values…
12 0 Open
Algorithms & data structures easy

Sort list by multiple keys with tuple ordering in Python

Sort a list of dictionaries by multiple criteria — surname, age, then score descending — using a tuple key and negation.

sorting tuples lambda
Python
def sort_multi_key(data):
    # Sorts by surname, then age, then score descending
    return sorted(
        data,
        key=lambda person: (
            person['surname'].lower(),
            person['age'],
            -person['score']  # negative to reverse sort by score
        )
    )


if __name__ == "__main__"…
14 0 Open
Algorithms & data structures easy

Stable sort preserving equal order demo in Python

Demonstrates Python's stable sort, showing that elements with equal sort keys retain their original relative order.

sorting stable sort timsort
Python
from operator import itemgetter

def stable_sort_demo():
    data = [(3, "first"), (1, "second"), (3, "third"), (1, "fourth"), (2, "fifth")]
    print("Original:", data)
    
    # Sort by first element (the tuple's first value), keeping relative order of equal items
    sorted_data = sorted(data, key=itemgetter(0))
 …
13 0 Open
Comprehensions & generators easy

How to Sort Data with Comprehensions and Generators in Python

Sort a list of tuples by a key, then use a list comprehension to extract names and a generator to square high ranks.

sorting list-comprehension generator
Python
data = [("Anna", 3), ("Ben", 1), ("Clara", 2), ("Dan", 5), ("Eve", 4)]

# Comprehension: list of tuples (name, rank) sorted ascending by rank
sorted_by_rank = sorted(data, key=lambda x: x[1])

# Comprehension: extract just the names in rank order
names_in_rank_order = [name for name, rank in sorted_by_rank]

# Generat…
13 0 Open
Automation & scripting easy

How to Sort Command-Line Arguments in Python

Build a beginner-friendly argparse CLI that sorts numbers or words passed as arguments, with an optional reverse flag.

argparse cli sorting
Python
import argparse


def main():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Sort numbers or words from the command line.")
    parser.add_argument("items", nargs="+", help="Items to sort (numbers or words)")
    parser.add_argument("--reverse", "-r", action="store_true", help="Sort in descending order")
    args =…
13 0 Open
Data pipelines & processing easy

How to Sort a List of Dictionaries by Key in Python

A reusable helper function that sorts a list of dictionaries by a specified key, with optional descending order support.

sorting dictionaries data-pipelines
Python
from typing import List

def sort_records(records: List[dict], key: str, descending: bool = False) -> List[dict]:
    """Sort a list of dictionaries by a specified key."""
    return sorted(records, key=lambda record: record[key], reverse=descending)


def demonstrate_sorting() -> None:
    users = [
        {"name": …
12 0 Open
Modern tooling easy

How to Mock isort Output to Test Import Sorting in Python

Uses isort with check mode and a unittest mock to verify whether a Python source string has correctly sorted imports.

isort import-sorting mock
Python
import isort
from unittest.mock import patch

code = """
import os
import sys
import json
import pathlib
"""

def check_imports_sorted(code_str):
    with patch("isort.api.output") as mock_output:
        isort.code(code_str, check=True, show_diff=True)
        return mock_output.called

if __name__ == "__main__":
   …
10 0 Open
Testing & modern typing easy

How to Sort Data in Python

Sort sequences with type-safe helpers that handle mixed data with a string fallback.

sorting typing protocol
Python
from typing import Any, TypeVar, Protocol, Sequence, Iterable

T = TypeVar("T")
Comparable = TypeVar("Comparable", bound="Comparable")

class Sortable(Protocol):
    def __lt__(self, other: Any) -> bool: ...

S = TypeVar("S", bound=Sortable)

def sort_data(data: Sequence[S], *, reverse: bool = False) -> list[S]:
    "…
14 0 Open
API design & gRPC easy

Sort Python list by query param order_by

Sort a list of dataclass objects dynamically by a field name passed as a query param, with asc/desc direction support.

sorting dataclasses api
Python
from dataclasses import dataclass


@dataclass
class Item:
    name: str
    price: int


def sort_items(items, order_by, direction="asc"):
    if order_by not in ("name", "price"):
        raise ValueError(f"Unsupported sort field: {order_by}")

    reverse = direction.lower() == "desc"
    return sorted(items, key=l…
11 0 Open
Microservices patterns easy

How to Order Partition Key Events in Python (Mock Stream)

Generate a mock event stream grouped by partition key and sort it deterministically by key then sequence in Python.

partition events sorting
Python
import itertools
import random


def partition_key_events(keys, events_per_key=3, seed=None):
    """Produce a realistic-looking, but mock, event stream grouped by partition key.

    Args:
        keys: iterable of partition keys (e.g. strings or ints).
        events_per_key: how many events we want per key.
       …
11 0 Open
Big data & Spark easy

How to Shuffle Items by Group in Python

Randomly shuffle items within each group while keeping groups contiguous, using a seed for reproducible results.

random shuffle grouping
Python
import random

def shuffle_sort_groups(items, group_key, seed=None):
    """Randomize order within groups, keeping groups contiguous."""
    rng = random.Random(seed)
    
    groups = {}
    for item in items:
        key = group_key(item)
        groups.setdefault(key, []).append(item)
    
    result = []
    for k…
13 0 Open
Big data & Spark easy

Z-Order Optimization in Python

A mock concept demonstrating z-order layout optimization by reassigning z-indices based on areas size.

zorder layout optimization
Python
class ZOrderLayout:
    """
    Minimal mock for z-order layout optimization using a stacking score.
    Elements overlap; higher z_index is drawn on top.
    """
    def __init__(self):
        self.elements = []

    def add_element(self, name, area, z_index):
        self.elements.append({"name": name, "area": area…
12 0 Open
Database scaling & optimization easy

How to Limit a Result Set to Top N Rows in Python

Sort a list of dictionaries by a numeric key and return only the top N results, formatted as a readable ranked list.

sorting slicing top-n
Python
import random

def top_n_mock(limit: int = 5):
    """Return a formatted top-N result set as a mock example."""
    # Simulated data source
    scores = [
        {"name": "Alice", "score": 87},
        {"name": "Bob", "score": 92},
        {"name": "Charlie", "score": 78},
        {"name": "Diana", "score": 95},
    …
16 0 Open

Browse by section

Each section groups closely related Python snippets.

Guide: free Python code samples library

Copy-ready Python snippets for learners and developers

PythonSkillset code samples are short, focused examples organised by topic and difficulty. Every snippet is server-rendered HTML — readable by search engines and easy to copy. Open any sample, read the notes, copy the code, then press Try in editor to run it in the browser with Pyodide.

How to use this library

  1. Pick a topic section — strings, lists, files, functions, and more
  2. Open a sample, read How it works, and copy the code block
  3. Run it in the IDE, tweak values, then take a related quiz or tutorial lesson

Samples vs tutorials and challenges

Samples are quick reference — one concept per page. For step-by-step teaching, use our Python tutorials. To test yourself, try quizzes or coding challenges. Clean up style with the Python formatter.