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How to Invert a Dictionary in Python Safely
Swap dictionary keys and values while detecting duplicate values to prevent silent data loss.
def invert_dict_safely(d):
inverted = {}
for key, value in d.items():
if value not in inverted:
inverted[value] = key
else:
raise ValueError(f"Duplicate value '{value}' would cause data loss")
return inverted
if __name__ == "__main__":
sample = {"a": 1, "b": 2,…
How to convert string values to int or float in Python dicts
Recursively convert string values in nested dicts and lists to ints or floats when possible, leaving other strings untouched.
def coerce_str_values(data):
"""Recursively convert string values that look like ints or floats."""
if isinstance(data, dict):
return {key: coerce_str_values(val) for key, val in data.items()}
elif isinstance(data, list):
return [coerce_str_values(item) for item in data]
elif isinstance…
Parse Env Vars into Typed Dict in Python
Convert a list of environment variable names into a dictionary with automatically detected types (bool, int, float, or string), defaulting missing vars to None.
import os
from typing import Any, Dict
def parse_env_vars(env_names: list[str], env: Dict[str, str] | None = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Parse a list of environment variable names into a typed dict.
Each variable is parsed as:
- bool: "true"/"false" (case-insensitive)
- int: if it can be converted t…
How to Convert Data Types in Python with a Helper Class
This code defines a beginner-friendly OOP helper class for common data conversions like string to list, list to dict, JSON string, and CSV row, with an advanced subclass for numeric casting.
class DataConverter:
"""A beginner-friendly helper class for common data conversions."""
def __init__(self, data):
self.data = data
def to_list(self):
"""Convert string data (comma-separated) to a list."""
if isinstance(self.data, str):
return [item.strip() for…
How to Implement Iterator Protocol on a Custom Class in Python
Create a custom iterable class by defining the __iter__ and __next__ methods, enabling use in for loops and list conversions.
class Countdown:
"""Iterator that counts down from start to 0."""
def __init__(self, start):
self.start = start
self.current = start
def __iter__(self):
return self
def __next__(self):
if self.current < 0:
raise StopIteration
value = self.current
…
Convert Data in Python with Comprehensions and Generators
Convert mixed data to integers, filter and transform numbers, and extract fields from dicts using list comprehensions and generator expressions.
def convert_numbers(data):
"""Convert a list of mixed values into integers using a comprehension."""
return [int(item) for item in data if item is not None]
def double_even_numbers(numbers):
"""Double only even numbers using a generator expression."""
return (n * 2 for n in numbers if n % 2 == 0)
d…
How to Filter Data with Predicates in Python
This helper filters a list with a predicate using a list comprehension, plus a lazy generator version that yields matches one by one.
def filter_data(data, predicate):
"""Return a list containing only items that pass the predicate."""
return [item for item in data if predicate(item)]
def filter_data_lazy(data, predicate):
"""Generator version: yields items that pass the predicate one by one."""
for item in data:
if predicat…
How to Convert Data to JSON and Back in Python
Convert a Python dict into a JSON string with indentation, then parse it back into a dict, demonstrating a common round-trip conversion for beginners.
import json
from datetime import datetime
def convert_data(data):
"""Convert a dict into a JSON string and back to dict."""
json_str = json.dumps(data, indent=2)
parsed = json.loads(json_str)
return json_str, parsed
def main():
sample_data = {
"user": "alice",
"message": "hello",
…
Automatically Generate Hardware Inventory Reports in Python
Generate a system hardware report including OS version, CPU cores, RAM, and disk usage using platform and psutil.
import platform
import psutil # requires: pip install psutil
from datetime import datetime
def generate_hardware_report():
report_lines = []
report_lines.append(f"Report Generated: {datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')}")
report_lines.append(f"System: {platform.system()} {platform.release()} ({pl…
Convert Markdown to HTML in Python (Batch)
Convert every Markdown file in a directory to HTML with the Python markdown library, saving each result with an .html extension.
import markdown
from pathlib import Path
def convert_md_to_html(source_dir: str, dest_dir: str) -> list[str]:
src = Path(source_dir)
dst = Path(dest_dir)
dst.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
converted_files = []
for md_file in src.glob("*.md"):
html_content = markdown.markdown(md_file.…
How to Build a CLI with argparse in Python
Create a beginner-friendly command-line tool in Python that processes multiple filenames with optional flags for verbose output and uppercase conversion.
import argparse
def main():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
description="A simple CLI to process files with optional verbose mode."
)
parser.add_argument("filenames", nargs="+", help="Files to process")
parser.add_argument("-v", "--verbose", action="store_true", help="Print extra details")
…
How to Build a Docker Image Tag Script in Python
Generate consistent Docker image tags from service names and versions with automatic normalization.
#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Mock script for building docker image tags."""
def build_tag(service_name: str, version: str, registry: str = "docker.io") -> str:
"""Construct a docker image tag."""
safe_name = service_name.lower().replace("_", "-")
return f"{registry}/{safe_name}:{version}"
if __name__ == "…
How to Bump Version in pyproject.toml Using Regex in Python
Updates the version field in a pyproject.toml file using a regex substitution with the Python standard library.
import re
from pathlib import Path
def bump_version(pyproject_path: str, new_version: str) -> None:
"""Update version in pyproject.toml using regex."""
path = Path(pyproject_path)
content = path.read_text()
# Match version = "x.y.z" (simple or PEP 440 with pre-release)
pattern = r'^version\s*=\s*…
How to Generate an Inventory CSV of Installed pip Packages in Python
This script uses subprocess and csv to list all installed pip packages and write their names and versions into a CSV inventory file.
import subprocess
import csv
def get_installed_packages():
"""Return a list of (name, version) tuples for installed pip packages."""
result = subprocess.run(
["pip", "list", "--format=freeze"],
capture_output=True,
text=True,
check=True
)
packages = []
for line in r…
Pin Python package versions in requirements.txt
Pin package versions in requirements.txt-style text by adding ==version when no specifier is present, while preserving existing version constraints and comments.
import re
from pathlib import Path
def pin_versions(requirements_text: str) -> str:
"""
Pin package versions in requirements.txt-style text.
Adds ==version if no version specifier is present.
Keeps existing specifiers (>=, <=, ~=, etc.) unchanged.
"""
lines = requirements_text.strip().splitli…
How to Convert Data Types in a Python Data Pipeline
Demonstrates a simple Python data pipeline that converts string values to proper types (bool, int, float, datetime) and outputs structured JSON.
import json
from datetime import datetime
def convert_value(value):
"""Convert string values to appropriate Python types."""
if value.lower() == "true":
return True
if value.lower() == "false":
return False
if value.isdigit():
return int(value)
try:
return float(val…
How to Safely Coerce Strings to Numbers in Python
A safe conversion function that turns strings into integers or floats, returning a fallback value when conversion fails.
import math
def to_number(value, fallback=None):
"""Safely coerce a string to int or float, returning fallback on failure."""
if isinstance(value, (int, float)):
return value
try:
# Try int first for clean whole numbers
return int(value)
except (ValueError, TypeError):
…
How to create a dated snapshot path for a dataset in Python
Generate a versioned directory path combining a base directory, dataset name, and today's date, ready for creating snapshots in data pipelines.
import datetime
import os
from pathlib import Path
def snapshot_path(base_dir: str, dataset_name: str) -> Path:
"""Return a dated snapshot path for a dataset under a base directory."""
today = datetime.date.today().isoformat()
return Path(base_dir) / dataset_name / today
if __name__ == "__main__":
…
Rollback dataset to previous snapshot pointer in Python
A SnapshotManager class stores timestamped data snapshots and rolls back to the most recent snapshot at or before a target time.
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
class SnapshotManager:
def __init__(self):
self.snapshots = {} # timestamp -> data
self.current_pointer = None
def create_snapshot(self, data):
timestamp = datetime.now()
self.snapshots[timestamp] = data
self.current_pointer =…
Bisect Good Bad Automation Script in Python
This Python script implements a binary search to find the first bad version in a list, simulating an automation script for git bisect.
import bisect
def find_first_bad(versions):
"""Given a list of version objects with .is_bad(), find first bad version."""
lo, hi = 0, len(versions)
while lo < hi:
mid = (lo + hi) // 2
if versions[mid].is_bad():
hi = mid
else:
lo = mid + 1
return lo
clas…
Bump Semantic Version Git Tag in Python
Automatically find the latest Git tag and compute the next patch release using semantic versioning (semver) in Python.
from re import match
from subprocess import run
SEMVER_PATTERN = r"^v(?P<major>0|[1-9]\d*)\.(?P<minor>0|[1-9]\d*)\.(?P<patch>0|[1-9]\d*)(?:-(?P<prerelease>[0-9A-Za-z-]+(?:\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*))?(?:\+(?P<buildmetadata>[0-9A-Za-z-]+(?:\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*))?$"
def get_latest_tag() -> str:
result = run(["git", "describe…
How to Auto-Suggest a SemVer Bump From Git Commit Messages in Python
This code scans Git commit messages (recent or sample) and suggests the next Semantic Versioning bump type — major, minor, patch, or none.
import re
import subprocess
from pathlib import Path
def get_commit_messages(path="."):
"""Read commit messages from a repo or use sample messages."""
if (Path(path) / ".git").exists():
out = subprocess.run(
["git", "-C", path, "log", "--pretty=%s"], capture_output=True, text=True
…
How to Revert a Commit and Create a New Revert Commit in Python
Demonstrates a mock Git repository that creates a new revert commit on top of the current head when reverting an existing commit.
class GitCommit:
"""Minimal mock of a git commit for demonstrating revert behavior."""
def __init__(self, sha, message):
self.sha = sha
self.message = message
self.parent = None
class GitRepository:
"""Mock repository tracking a simple commit chain."""
def __init__(self):
…
How to Convert Python Dict to JSON and Back
Convert Python dictionaries to JSON text and back with a simple helper that serializes and deserializes data structures.
import json
from datetime import datetime, timezone
def convert_data(data, source_format=None, target_format="json"):
"""
Convert Python data structures to txt/json and back.
For beginners: shows how to serialize/deserialize.
"""
if source_format == "json" and target_format == "dict":
ret…
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