Reference library

Python Code Samples

Copy-ready Python snippets by topic and difficulty — short, focused, and runnable in the browser editor.

87 matches
Automation & scripting easy

How to Create a Mock Headless Browser Screenshot Stub in Python

This code provides a deterministic stub that simulates capturing webpage screenshots with a headless browser, returning formatted output without real browser dependencies.

mock headless screenshot
Python
import subprocess
import sys

def mock_screenshot_webpage(url: str, width: int = 1280, height: int = 800) -> str:
    """Stub that simulates taking a screenshot of a webpage using headless browser."""
    # In real implementation, you would use playwright/selenium/headless chrome
    result = {
        "url": url,
   …
13 0 Open
Data pipelines & processing easy

How to Clean and Format Data in Python

This code loads JSON data, cleans records by removing empty fields and normalizing text, then summarizes the results with counts and unique keys.

json data cleaning data pipelines
Python
import json
from pathlib import Path


def load_data(filepath: str) -> dict:
    """Load JSON data from a file."""
    with Path(filepath).open("r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
        return json.load(f)


def clean_records(records: list[dict]) -> list[dict]:
    """Remove empty fields and normalize text to lowercase."""…
13 0 Open
Data pipelines & processing easy

How to Explode an Array Field into Multiple Rows in Python

This code flattens a list of dictionaries by exploding each array field value into its own row, duplicating the other fields as needed.

data transformation arrays flattening
Python
from collections import defaultdict

data = [
    {"id": 1, "name": "Alice", "tags": ["python", "data", "ai"]},
    {"id": 2, "name": "Bob", "tags": ["web", "devops"]},
    {"id": 3, "name": "Carol", "tags": []},
]

def explode_array_field(records, array_field):
    result = []
    for record in records:
        for v…
11 0 Open
Data pipelines & processing easy

How to Hash Email Addresses in a PII Masking Pipeline in Python

Replaces every email address in a text string with its SHA-256 hash to protect personally identifiable information (PII).

pii hashing sha256
Python
import hashlib
import re

def hash_email(email: str) -> str:
    """Mask an email address by hashing it with SHA-256."""
    normalized = email.strip().lower()
    return hashlib.sha256(normalized.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest()

def mask_pii_emails(text: str) -> str:
    """Replace all email addresses in text with their…
14 0 Open
Data pipelines & processing easy

How to Unpivot Wide to Long with pandas melt in Python

This code demonstrates how to use pandas.melt to unpivot a wide DataFrame into a tidy long format, converting subject columns into rows.

pandas melt reshape
Python
import pandas as pd

# Sample wide-format data
df_wide = pd.DataFrame({
    'id': [1, 2, 3],
    'name': ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Charlie'],
    'math': [90, 85, 95],
    'science': [80, 92, 88]
})

print("Original wide DataFrame:")
print(df_wide)

# Melt: unpivot subject columns into rows
df_long = pd.melt(
    df_wide,
   …
15 0 Open
Data pipelines & processing medium

Normalize Timestamps to UTC DateTime in Python

Convert timestamps in multiple formats to UTC-aware datetime objects using datetime.strptime and astimezone.

datetime timezone utc
Python
from datetime import datetime, timezone

raw_timestamps = [
    "2024-01-15 14:30:00+02:00",
    "17/05/2024 09:15:00 -0500",
    "2024-03-01T22:45:00Z",
    "2024-06-20 08:00:00+09:30"
]

def parse_and_convert(ts: str) -> datetime:
    normalized_ts = ts.strip().replace("Z", "+00:00")
    formats = [
        "%Y-%m-%…
14 0 Open
Data pipelines & processing medium

Pivot long to wide transformation dict

Transform a list of dictionaries from long format to wide format by pivoting on a key column and aggregating values, using pure Python.

pivot transformation data-cleaning
Python
def pivot_long_to_wide(rows, key_col, value_col, id_cols=None):
    """
    Convert long-format data (list of dicts) to wide format.
    
    Args:
        rows: List of dicts in long format
        key_col: Column name to pivot on (becomes new column headers)
        value_col: Column name whose values become the cel…
11 0 Open
Git + Python medium

How to Format Git Patch Series as an MBOX File in Python

Generate a patch-series mbox file from commit metadata with numbered [PATCH nnn/nnn] subjects and a Git-style footer.

git mbox patch-series
Python
import re
from pathlib import Path


def format_patch_series_mbox(commits, output_path="series.mbox"):
    entries = []
    for idx, commit in enumerate(commits, start=1):
        subject = commit["subject"]
        author = commit["author"]
        email = commit["email"]
        date = commit["date"]
        body = …
13 0 Open
Git + Python medium

How to Generate Release Notes from Git Commit Messages in Python

This script fetches recent Git commit messages using conventional commit prefixes (feat, fix, etc.), categorizes them, and prints formatted release notes with today's date.

git release-notes automation
Python
import subprocess
import re
from datetime import datetime

def get_git_log(since_tag="HEAD~10", format_str="%s"):
    """Retrieve commit messages from git log."""
    try:
        result = subprocess.run(
            ["git", "log", f"--since={since_tag}", f"--format={format_str}"],
            capture_output=True,
   …
49 0 Open
Cloud + Python easy

Generate Mock CloudFormation Stack Events in Python

Generate a list of mock AWS CloudFormation stack events with random resources, statuses, and timestamps, and print them as JSON.

cloudformation mock aws
Python
import json
import random
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

def generate_mock_stack_events(stack_name="MyTestStack", num_events=10):
    """Generate a list of mock CloudFormation stack events."""
    resources = [
        ("AWS::S3::Bucket", "MyBucket"),
        ("AWS::EC2::Instance", "MyInstance"),
        ("…
15 0 Open
Cloud + Python medium

Mock CDK Synth Output in Python for Template Testing

Simulate AWS CDK synth output with MagicMock to test or preview CloudFormation templates without running a real CDK app.

aws cdk cloudformation
Python
import json
from unittest.mock import MagicMock

def mock_cdk_synth() -> dict:
    """Simulate AWS CDK synth output for a simple S3 bucket."""
    cdk_app = MagicMock()
    cdk_app.synth.return_value.template = {
        "Resources": {
            "MyBucket": {
                "Type": "AWS::S3::Bucket",
              …
12 0 Open
Cloud + Python easy

Mock CloudWatch put_metric_data in Python

Simulate AWS CloudWatch put_metric_data with validation and formatted output for local testing without AWS.

cloudwatch aws mock
Python
import json
from datetime import datetime, timezone


def put_metric_data(namespace, metric_data_list):
    """
    Mock AWS CloudWatch put_metric_data.
    Validates and prints the metrics that would be sent.
    """
    timestamp = datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()
    print(f"[MockCloudWatch] Received request …
15 0 Open
Modern tooling medium

How to Enforce Indentation Rules From .editorconfig in Python

A mock function that reads .editorconfig-style indentation rules (spaces or tabs, size) and fixes indentation in source code lines by tracking brace depth.

editorconfig indentation formatting
Python
def enforce_indent(editorconfig_rules, file_content):
    """
    Mock function to enforce indentation rules from .editorconfig.
    Returns the content with indentation fixed (or unchanged if already compliant).
    """
    indent_style = editorconfig_rules.get("indent_style", "spaces")
    indent_size = int(editorco…
14 0 Open
Modern tooling easy

How to Format Data with Python's datetime and JSON Helpers

A beginner-friendly set of helper functions to format dates and safely read/write JSON files in Python.

datetime json files
Python
from datetime import datetime
from pathlib import Path
import json


def format_today(pattern: str = "%Y-%m-%d") -> str:
    """Return today's date formatted with the given pattern."""
    return datetime.now().strftime(pattern)


def load_json(file_path: str) -> dict:
    """Read and parse a JSON file safely."""
    …
12 0 Open
Modern tooling easy

How to Load and Inspect CSV Data with a Dataclass Helper in Python

This code defines a DataHelper dataclass that reads a CSV file into a list of dictionaries and prints basic dataset information.

csv dataclass pathlib
Python
from pathlib import Path
from dataclasses import dataclass
from typing import Any


@dataclass
class DataHelper:
    """Simple helper for loading and inspecting CSV data."""
    filepath: Path

    def load_csv(self, *, delimiter: str = ",") -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
        """Read CSV into a list of dictionaries."""
…
16 0 Open
Modern tooling easy

How to Load and Save CSV and JSON Files in Python

A beginner-friendly data helper that loads or saves CSV and JSON files using only the Python standard library, with automatic format detection from the file extension.

csv json file-io
Python
from pathlib import Path
import json
import csv


def load_data(file_path):
    """Load CSV or JSON data from disk based on file extension."""
    path = Path(file_path)
    if path.suffix == ".json":
        with path.open() as f:
            return json.load(f)
    elif path.suffix == ".csv":
        with path.open(…
13 0 Open
Modern tooling medium

How to Mock a semantic-release Changelog in Python

This Python code simulates a semantic-release changelog generator, grouping commits by type and formatting them into a markdown changelog.

semantic-release changelog automation
Python
import json
from datetime import datetime


class SemanticReleaseChangelog:
    def __init__(self, version, commits):
        self.version = version
        self.commits = commits
        self.release_date = datetime.now().isoformat()

    def generate_changelog(self):
        grouped = {}
        for commit in self.c…
15 0 Open
Modern tooling medium

How to Mock subprocess.run for Black Formatter in Python

Use unittest.mock to simulate subprocess.run calls in a Python function that runs the Black formatter, allowing isolated testing without executing external commands.

unittest mock subprocess
Python
import subprocess
from unittest.mock import Mock, patch

def run_black_formatter(file_path: str, check_only: bool = False) -> dict:
    """Run black formatter on a file via subprocess."""
    cmd = ["black", "--check" if check_only else "-", file_path]
    result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True)
 …
15 0 Open
Modern tooling medium

Mocking loguru for Structured Logging in Python

Simulate loguru's structured logging with a custom mock that captures JSON-formatted log entries with bound context.

loguru logging mock
Python
import json
import sys
from io import StringIO
from unittest.mock import patch


def mock_loguru():
    # Simulate a structured logger with context binding
    class StructuredLogger:
        def __init__(self):
            self.context = {}

        def bind(self, **kwargs):
            logger = StructuredLogger()
  …
12 0 Open
Testing & modern typing easy

Format Data with Type Hints in Python

Build a validated person dict with modern type hints and optional list handling.

type-hints typing data-formatting
Python
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union

JsonValue = Union[str, int, float, bool, None, List["JsonValue"], Dict[str, "JsonValue"]]

def format_person(name: str, age: int, hobbies: Optional[List[str]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
    """Build a person dict with validated typing."""
    if not name or age < 0:…
13 0 Open
Testing & modern typing easy

How to Verify Formatted Output with an Approval Test in Python

Write a small Python approval test that verifies a function's exact formatted output using unittest.

approval-testing unittest formatting
Python
import sys
from io import StringIO
import unittest

def generate_output(name, score):
    return f"Player: {name} | Score: {score:03d}"

class TestFormattedOutput(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_output_format(self):
        expected = "Player: Alice | Score: 042"
        result = generate_output("Alice", 42)
        …
13 0 Open
API design & gRPC easy

Format data in Python using dataclasses like gRPC messages

Convert Python dataclasses to and from dicts and format them gRPC-style for clean data handling.

dataclasses grpc serialization
Python
from dataclasses import dataclass
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional


@dataclass
class ProductInfo:
    """Data class representing a gRPC-style product message."""

    name: str
    price: float
    tags: List[str]
    description: Optional[str] = None

    def to_dict(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
        """C…
14 0 Open
API design & gRPC easy

How to Create an RFC 7807 Error JSON in Python

Construct a structured error response using the RFC 7807 Problem Details format with a reusable function.

rfc7807 json error-handling
Python
import json
from typing import Dict


def create_rfc7807_error(
    type_: str,
    title: str,
    status: int,
    detail: str,
    instance: str,
    extra_fields: Dict[str, object] | None = None,
) -> str:
    """
    Build a JSON string following RFC 7807 Problem Details format.
    """
    problem = {
        "t…
14 0 Open
API design & gRPC medium

How to Implement Content Negotiation with JSON and XML in Python

Build an HTTP server that returns JSON or XML responses based on the client's Accept header, with a 406 response for unsupported formats.

http-server content-negotiation json
Python
import json
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, HTTPServer


class RequestHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
    def do_GET(self):
        data = {"message": "Hello, world!"}
        accept_header = self.headers.get("Accept", "")

        if "application/json" in accept_hea…
11 0 Open

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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.