Reference library

Python Code Samples

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

14 matches
Dictionaries & sets easy

Serialize Python dict to JSON with custom default for datetime

Convert a Python dict containing datetime and set objects into JSON by providing a custom default serializer.

json datetime serialization
Python
import json
from datetime import datetime

def custom_serializer(obj):
    if isinstance(obj, datetime):
        return obj.isoformat()
    if isinstance(obj, set):
        return list(obj)
    return str(obj)

data = {
    "name": "Alice",
    "created_at": datetime(2024, 3, 15, 10, 30, 45),
    "tags": {"python", "j…
15 0 Open
OOP & classes easy

How to Build an In-Memory CRUD Repository Class in Python

Define a Python Repository class that stores objects in a dictionary and supports create, read, update, delete, and list operations.

repository crud oop
Python
class Repository:
    def __init__(self):
        self._data = {}

    def create(self, key, value):
        self._data[key] = value
        return key

    def read(self, key):
        return self._data.get(key)

    def update(self, key, value):
        if key not in self._data:
            raise KeyError(f"Key '{ke…
14 0 Open
OOP & classes easy

How to Copy Class Instances in Python: Shallow vs Deep Copy

Use copy.copy and copy.deepcopy to clone class instances, showing how nested objects are shared or duplicated.

copy deepcopy shallow copy
Python
import copy


class Config:
    def __init__(self):
        self.settings = {"theme": "dark", "language": "en"}


if __name__ == "__main__":
    original = Config()

    shallow_copy = copy.copy(original)
    deep_copy = copy.deepcopy(original)

    shallow_copy.settings["theme"] = "light"
    deep_copy.settings["them…
13 0 Open
OOP & classes easy

How to Define a Simple Python Class with __init__ and __repr__

Define a basic Python class with an __init__ method to set instance attributes and a __repr__ method for a readable representation of objects.

classes oop init
Python
class Person:
    def __init__(self, name, age):
        self.name = name
        self.age = age

    def __repr__(self):
        return f"Person(name={self.name!r}, age={self.age!r})"


if __name__ == "__main__":
    person = Person("Alice", 30)
    print(person)
15 0 Open
OOP & classes easy

How to Implement Rich Comparison Ordering in Python Classes

This code demonstrates how to implement rich comparison operators (like <, <=, >, >=, ==, !=) in a Python class by defining __lt__ and __eq__, enabling sorting and ordering of custom objects.

rich comparison sorting operators
Python
class Task:
    def __init__(self, priority, name):
        self.priority = priority
        self.name = name

    def __lt__(self, other):
        if not isinstance(other, Task):
            return NotImplemented
        return self.priority < other.priority

    def __eq__(self, other):
        if not isinstance(oth…
12 0 Open
AI & LLM integration patterns easy

Serialize and Format Data for LLM Prompts in Python

Use dataclasses and the json module to convert Python objects to JSON strings, parse them back, and format structured data into prompt-friendly text for LLM calls.

dataclasses json llm
Python
import json
from dataclasses import dataclass, asdict


@dataclass
class Recipe:
    """Simple data model to represent a recipe."""
    name: str
    cuisine: str
    prep_minutes: int


def to_json(recipe: Recipe) -> str:
    """Serialize a Recipe to a JSON string."""
    return json.dumps(asdict(recipe), indent=2)

…
14 0 Open
Git + Python easy

How to Make a Shallow Clone of an Object in Python

Demonstrates using copy.copy() to create a shallow clone of a Python object, showing how nested mutable data is shared while top-level attributes are independent.

copy shallow-copy clone
Python
import copy


class Config:
    def __init__(self):
        self.settings = {"volume": 50}
        self.user = "admin"


def demonstrate_shallow_copy():
    original = Config()
    shallow = copy.copy(original)

    # Mutating nested object is visible in both (shallow copy share it)
    shallow.settings["volume"] = 90…
14 0 Open
Cloud + Python easy

Create a Cloud Storage Helper Class in Python

Build a simple local file-based helper class that mimics cloud storage operations like save, load, and list JSON objects.

cloud-storage json file-io
Python
import datetime
import json
from pathlib import Path


class CloudDataHelper:
    """Simple helper for reading/writing JSON files in a cloud-style folder."""

    def __init__(self, base_dir: str = "cloud_storage"):
        self.base_dir = Path(base_dir)
        self.base_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

    def save_json(se…
16 0 Open
Testing & modern typing easy

How to Use TypedDict and Dataclasses in Python

Create typed data structures with TypedDict and dataclasses, then use them as helper functions for describing objects in a type-safe way.

typing typdict dataclass
Python
from typing import TypedDict, NotRequired, Optional
from dataclasses import dataclass


class User(TypedDict):
    name: str
    age: NotRequired[int]
    email: Optional[str]


@dataclass
class Product:
    id: int
    title: str
    price: float = 0.0


def describe_user(user: User) -> str:
    age = user.get("age",…
12 0 Open
System design patterns easy

Builder pattern for mocking complex objects in Python

Use a fluent Builder to construct realistic mock objects with defaults, enabling readable test data setup.

builder-pattern mock-data testing
Python
class User:
    def __init__(self):
        self.name = "default"
        self.age = 0
        self.email = "unknown@example.com"
        self.address = "unknown"

    def __repr__(self):
        return f"User(name={self.name!r}, age={self.age}, email={self.email!r}, address={self.address!r})"


class UserBuilder:
   …
16 0 Open
System design patterns easy

How to Implement the Prototype Pattern with Deep Copy in Python

Implements the Prototype design pattern using copy.deepcopy to clone complex objects without sharing mutable state.

prototype-pattern deepcopy dataclasses
Python
import copy
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from typing import List

@dataclass
class Engine:
    horsepower: int

@dataclass
class Car:
    brand: str
    engine: Engine
    accessories: List[str] = field(default_factory=list)

def clone_prototype(car: Car) -> Car:
    return copy.deepcopy(car)

if __name__ …
13 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
Streaming & messaging easy

How to Serialize and Deserialize JSON Event Payloads in Python

Define an EventPayload class with custom to_json and from_json methods to convert event objects to JSON strings and back, using datetime parsing.

json serialization datetime
Python
import json
from datetime import datetime


class EventPayload:
    def __init__(self, event_id, event_type, timestamp, data):
        self.event_id = event_id
        self.event_type = event_type
        self.timestamp = timestamp
        self.data = data

    def to_json(self):
        return json.dumps({
          …
12 0 Open
Production deployment patterns easy

How to Build a Simple Data Helper Class in Python

A beginner-friendly DataHelper class that stores Python dataclass objects as JSON records to disk, with load, add, and save methods.

dataclass json file-io
Python
import json
from dataclasses import dataclass, asdict
from pathlib import Path

@dataclass
class User:
    name: str
    age: int
    email: str

class DataHelper:
    def __init__(self, filepath: str = "data.json"):
        self.filepath = Path(filepath)
        self._data = self._load()
    
    def _load(self) -> l…
12 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.