Reference library

Python Code Samples

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

636 matches
System design patterns medium

How to Implement Retry with Exponential Backoff and Jitter in Python

This code demonstrates a retry mechanism with exponential backoff and optional full jitter, using a flaky mock network call for testing.

retry backoff jitter
Python
import random
import time


def retry_with_backoff(func, max_attempts=5, base_delay=0.1, jitter=True):
    """
    Retry a function with exponential backoff and optional full jitter.
    """
    for attempt in range(max_attempts):
        try:
            return func()
        except Exception as e:
            if att…
14 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Implement a Simple MVVM Binding Mock in Python

A minimal Python implementation of the MVVM pattern, mocking data binding so views auto-update when the view model changes.

mvvm binding observer pattern
Python
class BindingMock:
    def __init__(self, view_model):
        self.view_model = view_model
        self.subscribers = []

    def bind(self, property_name, callback):
        self.subscribers.append((property_name, callback))

    def set(self, property_name, value):
        setattr(self.view_model, property_name, va…
19 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Implement the Abstract Factory Pattern in Python

Implements the Abstract Factory pattern to create families of related GUI objects (buttons, checkboxes) without specifying their concrete classes.

abstract-factory design-patterns system-design
Python
from abc import ABC, abstractmethod


class Button(ABC):
    @abstractmethod
    def render(self):
        pass


class Checkbox(ABC):
    @abstractmethod
    def render(self):
        pass


class WindowsButton(Button):
    def render(self):
        return "Rendering Windows-style button"


class WindowsCheckbox(Chec…
14 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Implement the Flyweight Pattern in Python

Implements the Flyweight design pattern to share immutable intrinsic state (character + font) across many document objects, reducing memory usage.

flyweight design-patterns memory-optimization
Python
class Character:
    """Flyweight - stores only intrinsic state (shared)."""

    def __init__(self, char: str, font: str):
        self.char = char
        self.font = font

    def render(self, size: int) -> str:
        return f"{self.char}_{self.font}_{size}"


class CharacterFactory:
    """Flyweight factory - ma…
16 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Implement the Strategy Pattern in Python

This Python code demonstrates the Strategy design pattern using interchangeable sorting algorithms (bubble sort and quick sort) that can be swapped at runtime.

design-pattern strategy oop
Python
class SortingStrategy:
    def sort(self, data):
        raise NotImplementedError

class BubbleSort(SortingStrategy):
    def sort(self, data):
        result = data.copy()
        n = len(result)
        for i in range(n):
            for j in range(0, n - i - 1):
                if result[j] > result[j + 1]:
      …
14 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Limit Concurrent Requests with a Semaphore in Python

Use threading.Semaphore with a ThreadPoolExecutor to cap how many worker threads run simultaneously, preventing resource overload.

concurrency semaphore threading
Python
import threading
import time
from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor

def worker(name, semaphore, results):
    with semaphore:
        results.append(f"start {name}")
        time.sleep(0.5)  # simulate async work
        results.append(f"done {name}")

def main():
    sem = threading.Semaphore(2)  # max 2 …
16 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Migrate a Legacy Facade with the Strangler Fig Pattern in Python

Use a facade to wrap a legacy API and incrementally migrate callers to a modern interface, following the strangler fig pattern.

facade legacy migration
Python
class LegacyAPI:
    """Simulates the legacy system's raw interface."""
    def get_user(self, user_id):
        return {"id": user_id, "name": "Alice", "legacy": True}


class UserService:
    """Facade that wraps the legacy system with a modern interface."""
    def __init__(self, legacy_api=None):
        self.lega…
13 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Mock a Timeout per Dependency Call in Python

This code demonstrates how to simulate and test per-call timeouts for external dependencies using Python's unittest.mock and a simple timing wrapper.

mock timeout unittest
Python
```python
import time
from unittest.mock import Mock, patch

def call_dependency(dependency, timeout):
    start = time.time()
    result = dependency.call()
    elapsed = time.time() - start
    if elapsed > timeout:
        raise TimeoutError(f"Dependency call took {elapsed:.2f}s, exceeding timeout {timeout}s")
    …
15 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Structure a Three-Tier Layered Architecture in Python

A mock three-tier architecture with presentation, business, and data layers that process a user request from input to response.

architecture layered design-pattern
Python
class PresentationLayer:
    def __init__(self, business_layer):
        self.business = business_layer

    def handle_request(self, user_id):
        print(f"[Presentation] Received request for user {user_id}")
        data = self.business.process_user(user_id)
        print(f"[Presentation] Response: {data}")
     …
13 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to implement saga orchestration with compensating steps in Python

Orchestrate a distributed transaction across services, rolling back completed steps with compensations when a later step fails.

saga distributed-transactions compensation
Python
class InventoryService:
    def reserve(self, order_id):
        print(f"[Inventory] Reserving stock for order {order_id}")
        return True

    def compensate(self, order_id):
        print(f"[Inventory] Releasing stock for order {order_id}")


class PaymentService:
    def charge(self, order_id):
        print(f…
15 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to implement stale-while-revalidate caching in Python

A Python cache wrapper that returns a stale cached value with a fallback flag when the upstream fetch fails, using TTL-based freshness checks.

caching ttl resilience
Python
import time
from functools import lru_cache


class CachedService:
    def __init__(self, fetch_func, ttl=5):
        self.fetch_func = fetch_func
        self.ttl = ttl
        self._cache = {}
        self._timestamp = {}

    def get(self, key):
        now = time.time()
        if key in self._cache and now - self…
12 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Implement Bulkhead Thread Pool Isolation in Python

Create isolated thread pools with a bulkhead pattern to protect different services from cascading failures.

bulkhead threadpool concurrency
Python
import threading
import time
import random
from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor


class Bulkhead:
    """Simple bulkhead isolation: separate thread pools for different tasks."""

    def __init__(self, max_workers):
        self.executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=max_workers)
        self.active = …
15 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Implement a Consistent Hash Ring in Python

Build a minimal consistent hash ring with virtual nodes to map keys to servers stably as nodes are added or removed.

consistent-hashing hashing distributed-systems
Python
import hashlib
import bisect


class ConsistentHashRing:
    def __init__(self, nodes=None, replicas=3):
        self.replicas = replicas
        self.ring = {}
        self.sorted_keys = []
        if nodes:
            for node in nodes:
                self.add_node(node)

    def _hash(self, key):
        return i…
16 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Inbox pattern consumer dedupe mock in Python

Implements a mock inbox consumer that deduplicates incoming messages by ID, with automatic eviction of old seen IDs to prevent unbounded memory growth.

deduplication inbox-pattern dataclasses
Python
import json
from collections import deque
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from hashlib import sha256
from typing import Any


@dataclass
class InboxConsumer:
    max_seen: int = 1000
    seen_ids: set = field(default_factory=set)
    seen_history: deque = field(default_factory=deque)

    def _mark_seen(self,…
14 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Lazy loading with a proxy in Python: defer expensive service creation

A lazy proxy defers creating an expensive service object until its method is first called, then caches it for reuse.

proxy lazy-loading design-patterns
Python
import time
import random


class ExpensiveService:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.name = name
        print(f"Creating expensive service: {self.name}")

    def fetch_data(self):
        time.sleep(1)
        return f"Data from {self.name}: {random.randint(1, 100)}"


class LazyProxy:
    def __init__(sel…
16 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Microkernel Plug-in Core Mock in Python

Implements a minimal microkernel plug-in core that registers, unregisters, and executes synchronous or asynchronous plugins via a pluggable manager class.

microkernel plugin design-patterns
Python
import json
import abc
import inspect


class MicrokernelCore(abc.ABC):

    def __init__(self):
        self._plugins = {}

    def register(self, name, plugin):
        self._plugins[name] = plugin

    def unregister(self, name):
        return self._plugins.pop(name, None)

    def execute(self, name, *args, **kwa…
14 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Mock Unit of Work commit and rollback in Python

Verify that a Unit of Work pattern commits on success and rolls back on failure using unittest.mock in Python.

unit-of-work mocking testing
Python
from unittest import mock


class UnitOfWork:
    def __init__(self):
        self.committed = False
        self.rolled_back = False

    def commit(self):
        self.committed = True
        print("Commit executed")

    def rollback(self):
        self.rolled_back = True
        print("Rollback executed")


def b…
14 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Object Pool Pattern for Database Connections in Python

Implements a reusable connection pool with acquire/release and context manager support, mocking database connections with idle reuse and exhaustion handling.

object-pool connection-pool databases
Python
import time
from contextlib import contextmanager
from collections import deque


class ConnectionPool:
    def __init__(self, size=3, max_idle=5):
        self._idle = deque(maxlen=max_idle)
        self._active = set()
        self.size = size

    def _create(self):
        return {"created_at": time.time(), "queri…
13 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Outbox pattern reliable publish in Python with SQLite

Implements a transactional outbox with SQLite, ensuring reliable message publishing by storing events in the same DB transaction as business changes.

outbox sqlite transaction
Python
import sqlite3
from contextlib import contextmanager
from datetime import datetime, timezone


class Outbox:
    def __init__(self, db_path=":memory:"):
        self.conn = sqlite3.connect(db_path)
        self.conn.execute("""
            CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS outbox (
                id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTO…
12 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Simulate a Leaky Bucket Rate Limiter in Python

This code implements a leaky bucket rate limiter that drains at a fixed rate and accepts or rejects incoming requests based on capacity.

rate limiting leaky bucket simulation
Python
import time
from collections import deque


class LeakyBucket:
    """Simulates a leaky bucket rate limiter with a fixed drain rate."""
    def __init__(self, capacity, drain_rate_per_sec):
        self.capacity = capacity
        self.drain_rate = drain_rate_per_sec
        self.water = 0.0
        self.last_refill =…
13 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Singleton Config Loader in Python with Caution

Implements a singleton config loader in Python that reads JSON config files, but demonstrates the hidden gotcha of shared state across instances.

singleton config design-patterns
Python
import json
from pathlib import Path

class ConfigLoader:
    _instance = None

    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
        if cls._instance is None:
            cls._instance = super().__new__(cls)
        return cls._instance

    def __init__(self, config_file="config.json"):
        if not hasattr(self, "loaded…
13 0 Open
System design patterns medium

Template Method Workflow Steps Base Class in Python

Define a reusable workflow skeleton in a base class and let subclasses fill in each step with the Template Method design pattern.

template-method design-patterns abc
Python
from abc import ABC, abstractmethod


class DataPipeline(ABC):
    """Template Method pattern: defines a workflow skeleton."""

    def run(self):
        """Template method - defines the algorithm's structure."""
        result = {"extracted": False, "transformed": False, "loaded": False}
        raw_data = self._ext…
13 0 Open
API design & gRPC medium

Build a Bulk Array POST Mock Server in Python

Creates an HTTP mock server that accepts POST requests with a JSON array and returns incremental IDs for each item.

http-server mock-api rest
Python
import json
from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, HTTPServer
from urllib.parse import urlparse

class MockHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
    def do_POST(self):
        if urlparse(self.path).path != "/bulk":
            self.send_response(404)
            self.end_headers()
            return

        cont…
18 0 Open
API design & gRPC medium

Build a Mock REST API with PUT and GET in Python

A minimal mock REST server implementing idempotent PUT for resource replacement and GET for retrieval, built with Python's http.server module.

rest-api http-server mock
Python
from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, HTTPServer
import json
from urllib.parse import urlparse

mock_db = {}

class MockAPIHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
    def do_PUT(self):
        parsed = urlparse(self.path)
        resource_id = parsed.path.strip("/").split("/")[-1]
        content_length = int(self.…
20 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.