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How to Parse INI Config Files in Python with configparser
Load and read settings from an INI file using Python's built-in configparser module, with type-safe value access.
import configparser
from pathlib import Path
# Create a sample INI file for demonstration
sample_content = """
[Database]
host = localhost
port = 5432
user = admin
password = secret123
[Logging]
level = INFO
file = app.log
max_size = 10MB
"""
config_file = Path("sample_config.ini")
config_file.write_text(sample_con…How to Sum a CSV Column by Group in Python
This code reads a CSV string and sums a specified column for each unique value of a group key using the csv module and defaultdict.
import csv
from collections import defaultdict
from io import StringIO
def aggregate_csv(csv_data, group_key, sum_column):
totals = defaultdict(float)
reader = csv.DictReader(StringIO(csv_data))
for row in reader:
key = row[group_key]
totals[key] += float(row[sum_column])
return dict(t…Read Parquet-Like Columnar CSV Chunks in Python
A Python generator that reads a CSV file column-by-column, yielding dictionary chunks where each key points to a list of values—mirroring how Parquet stores data columnar.
```python
import csv
from pathlib import Path
from typing import Iterator, List
def read_parquet_like_columnar(csv_path: str, column_names: List[str], chunk_size: int = 2) -> Iterator[dict]:
"""Read CSV data in columnar chunks, similar to how parquet stores columns."""
csv_file = Path(csv_path)
with csv_f…Check Invertible Mapping for Duplicate Values in Python
Detect duplicate values among (key, value) pairs to ensure the mapping is invertible, using a dictionary for O(1) lookups.
def invertible_after_dedup(pairs):
"""
Check whether a set of (key, value) pairs is invertible,
i.e., no duplicate values exist for different keys.
"""
seen = {}
for key, value in pairs:
if value in seen and seen[value] != key:
return False, f"Duplicate value '{value}' for k…Compare Two Dictionaries in Python
Compare two dictionaries by finding common keys, unique keys, and value differences using Python's set operations.
def compare_data(dict1, dict2):
"""Compare two dictionaries and summarize similarities/differences."""
keys1 = set(dict1.keys())
keys2 = set(dict2.keys())
common_keys = keys1 & keys2
only_in_first = keys1 - keys2
only_in_second = keys2 - keys1
print(f"Common keys ({len(common_keys…Get Nested Dict Value with Default in Python
Access values deep inside a nested dictionary using a dotted path string, returning a default when any key is missing.
def get_nested(d, path, default=None):
"""Walk a nested dict along a dotted path, returning default if missing."""
current = d
for key in path.split("."):
if isinstance(current, dict) and key in current:
current = current[key]
else:
return default
return current
…How to Build a Two-Way Dictionary in Python
Implement a BiDict class that supports both forward key-to-value and reverse value-to-key lookups with a simple add, delete, and update API.
class BiDict:
def __init__(self, data=None):
self.forward = {}
self.backward = {}
if data:
self.update(data)
def update(self, data):
for key, value in data.items():
self[key] = value
def __setitem__(self, key, value):
self.forward[key] = val…How to Count Elements and Find Duplicates in a Python List
Count occurrences of each element in a list, extract unique values, and identify duplicates using Python dictionaries and sets.
def analyze_counts(data):
"""Count elements, return unique values, and find duplicates."""
# Count occurrences using a dictionary
counts = {}
for item in data:
counts[item] = counts.get(item, 0) + 1
# Alternative compact approach with set
unique_items = set(data)
# Fi…How to Deep Merge Nested Dicts Recursively in Python
Recursively merge two Python dictionaries, with overlay values taking precedence while preserving nested structures.
def deep_merge(base, overlay):
"""
Recursively merge two dictionaries.
Values in 'overlay' take precedence over 'base'.
"""
result = base.copy()
for key, value in overlay.items():
if key in result and isinstance(result[key], dict) and isinstance(value, dict):
result[key…How to Filter a Dictionary by Predicate on Values in Python
This code defines a reusable function that builds a new dictionary containing only the items whose values satisfy a given predicate function.
def filter_dict_by_predicate(d, predicate):
"""Return a new dict with only items whose value passes the predicate."""
return {k: v for k, v in d.items() if predicate(v)}
if __name__ == "__main__":
scores = {"Alice": 85, "Bob": 42, "Charlie": 91, "Diana": 60}
# Keep only values greater than or equal t…How to Find Keys with Matching Values in Two Dictionaries in Python
Find dictionary keys where both dictionaries have the exact same value by iterating over key-value pairs and comparing them.
def find_matching_values(dict1, dict2):
"""Return list of keys that have the same value in both dicts."""
matches = []
for key, value in dict1.items():
if key in dict2 and dict2[key] == value:
matches.append(key)
return matches
if __name__ == "__main__":
# Example usage
di…How to Group Data by Category in Python with a Split Data Helper
This code groups a list of (category, item) pairs into a dictionary where each key is a category and each value is a list of items belonging to that category.
def split_data(categories):
"""
Group data items into buckets based on a key function.
Returns a dict where keys are bucket names and values are lists of items.
"""
buckets = {}
for category, item in categories:
if category not in buckets:
buckets[category] = []
buck…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 Map Dictionary Values with a Transformation Function in Python
Create a reusable function that applies a transformation to every value in a dictionary and returns a new dict.
def transform_dict_values(d, func):
"""Apply a transformation function to every value in a dictionary."""
return {key: func(value) for key, value in d.items()}
if __name__ == "__main__":
original = {"a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3}
doubled = transform_dict_values(original, lambda x: x * 2)
print(doubled)
…How to Normalize Data in Python with Dictionaries and Sets
Normalize a list of dicts by keeping selected keys, stripping/lowercasing strings, and extracting unique sorted values using set comprehension.
def normalize_data(data, keys):
"""
Normalize a list of dictionaries by keeping only specified keys
and converting values to proper types.
"""
normalized = []
for item in data:
clean_item = {}
for key in keys:
value = item.get(key)
if isinstance(value, st…How to Normalize Data with Dictionaries and Sets in Python
Normalize dictionary entries to a fixed set of keys and extract unique values using sets in Python.
def normalize_entry(entry: dict, valid_keys: set) -> dict:
result = {}
for key in valid_keys:
result[key] = entry.get(key, "")
return result
def unique_values(entries: list[dict], key: str) -> set:
return {entry.get(key) for entry in entries if entry.get(key) is not None}
if __name__ == "__…How to Parse Query String to Dict with Duplicate Keys in Python
Convert a URL query string into a Python dictionary, merging duplicate keys into lists while keeping single values as scalars.
from urllib.parse import parse_qs
def parse_query_to_dict(query_string):
parsed = parse_qs(query_string, keep_blank_values=True)
return {key: values if len(values) > 1 else values[0] for key, values in parsed.items()}
if __name__ == "__main__":
query = "name=John&name=Jane&age=30&city=&city=Paris&empty…How to Recursively Remove None Values from Nested Dictionaries in Python
Recursively removes all None values from nested dictionaries and lists while preserving non-None data.
def prune_none(obj):
if isinstance(obj, dict):
return {
k: prune_none(v)
for k, v in obj.items()
if v is not None and prune_none(v) is not None
}
elif isinstance(obj, list):
pruned = [prune_none(item) for item in obj]
pruned = [item for item i…How to Set Nested Dict Value Creating Missing Keys in Python
Set a value deep inside a nested dictionary, automatically creating any missing intermediate dicts along the path.
def set_nested_value(d, keys, value):
"""
Set a value in a nested dict, creating missing intermediate keys.
Args:
d: The dict to modify
keys: Iterable of keys forming the path (e.g., ['a', 'b', 'c'])
value: The value to set at the final key
"""
current = d
for key i…How to Sort a Python Dictionary by Value Descending
Sort dictionary items by their values in descending order and return a new dictionary.
def sort_dict_by_value_desc(d):
return dict(sorted(d.items(), key=lambda item: item[1], reverse=True))
if __name__ == "__main__":
sample = {"apple": 5, "banana": 2, "cherry": 8, "date": 8}
result = sort_dict_by_value_desc(sample)
print(result)How to Use defaultdict(set) in Python to Group Unique Values
Group key-value pairs into a dictionary of sets, automatically creating a new set for each key using defaultdict.
from collections import defaultdict
def track_groups(pairs):
groups = defaultdict(set)
for key, value in pairs:
groups[key].add(value)
return groups
if __name__ == "__main__":
data = [
("fruit", "apple"),
("fruit", "banana"),
("fruit", "apple"),
("veg", "carrot…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…How to swap dict keys and values in Python when values are unique
Swap dict keys and values using a dict comprehension, with a guard that raises an error when values repeat.
def swap_dict_keys_values(d):
"""Swap keys and values in a dict, assuming values are unique."""
if len(set(d.values())) != len(d.values()):
raise ValueError("Values must be unique to swap keys and values")
return {v: k for k, v in d.items()}
if __name__ == "__main__":
original = {"a": 1, "b": …Validate dictionary data with sets in Python
Validate a dictionary against required keys and allowed value sets, returning a list of validation errors.
def validate_data(data, required_keys, allowed_values=None):
"""
Validate a dictionary against required keys and optional allowed value sets.
Returns a list of validation errors (empty list if valid).
"""
errors = []
# Check for missing required keys
missing = set(required_keys) - set(…Browse by section
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