Reference library

Python Code Samples

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

1445 matches
System design patterns easy

How to Build a Weighted Random Load Balancer in Python

A Python load balancer mock that distributes requests across servers based on configurable weights using a cumulative weighted random selection algorithm.

python how build
Python
import random
from collections import Counter

SERVERS = {
    "server-a": 50,
    "server-b": 30,
    "server-c": 20,
}


def weighted_random_server(servers: dict[str, int]) -> str:
    """Select a server based on its weight (higher weight = more likely)."""
    total_weight = sum(servers.values())
    rand = random.…
16 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Build an Adapter to Translate External API Responses in Python

Build an adapter class that translates a mock external API's response shape into your internal representation, keeping callers decoupled from the external contract.

adapter-pattern api architecture
Python
import json
from typing import Dict, Any


class ExternalAPI:
    """Mock external service returning a different data shape."""
    def get_user(self, user_id: int) -> Dict[str, Any]:
        return {
            "id": user_id,
            "full_name": "Jane Doe",
            "email_address": "jane@example.com",
     …
17 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Build an Anti-Corruption Layer in Python

Wrap a legacy system with a translation layer that converts awkward legacy data into a clean, modern DTO (Data Transfer Object) for use by new code.

anti-corruption-layer ddd dto
Python
class LegacyOrderSystem:
    """Legacy system with awkward, unstructured data."""
    def get_order(self):
        return {
            "order_id": "ORD-123",
            "cust": "Acme Corp",
            "items": [{"sku": "A1", "qty": 2, "price_each": 10.0}],
            "ship_to": "123 Main St, Springfield"
        }…
16 0 Open
System design patterns easy

How to Build an Append-Only Event Store in Python

Implement a simple append-only event store class that stores events in a list and supports retrieval by index range.

event-sourcing append-only event-store
Python
class EventStore:
    def __init__(self):
        self._events = []

    def append(self, event):
        """Append an event to the store."""
        self._events.append(event)

    def get_events(self, start=0, end=None):
        """Return events from start index to end (exclusive)."""
        return self._events[sta…
14 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Build an Immutable Money Value Object in Python

Implement an immutable Money class with rounded decimal amounts, currency, safe equality, and hashing for use as a value object.

value-object immutability money
Python
class Money:
    def __init__(self, amount: float, currency: str):
        object.__setattr__(self, "_amount", round(amount, 2))
        object.__setattr__(self, "_currency", currency)

    def __setattr__(self, name, value):
        raise AttributeError(f"Money is immutable: cannot set '{name}'")

    def __delattr__…
14 0 Open
System design patterns easy

How to Build an MVP Presenter View Mock in Python

A minimal MVP (Model-View-Presenter) mock showing a Presenter controlling a SlideDeck model with slide navigation and typed state via dataclasses.

dataclasses mvp design-patterns
Python
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from typing import List


@dataclass
class SlideDeck:
    title: str
    slides: List[str] = field(default_factory=list)
    current_index: int = 0

    def next_slide(self) -> str:
        if self.current_index < len(self.slides) - 1:
            self.current_index += 1
      …
15 0 Open
System design patterns medium

How to Implement CQRS with Separate Read and Write Models in Python

Implements Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS) by splitting data into separate write and read models with dedicated repositories, using dataclasses for structure.

cqrs dataclasses repositories
Python
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from typing import List, Dict, Optional


@dataclass
class OrderWriteModel:
    order_id: int
    customer: str
    items: List[str] = field(default_factory=list)

    def add_item(self, item: str) -> None:
        self.items.append(item)


@dataclass
class OrderReadModel:
    …
14 0 Open
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…
15 0 Open
System design patterns easy

How to Implement a Data Helper Class in Python

Build a beginner-friendly DataHelper class using dataclasses and key system design patterns like Command, Strategy, and Map.

dataclass data-helper design-patterns
Python
from __future__ import annotations
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional


@dataclass
class DataHelper:
    """A beginner-friendly data utility with common system design patterns."""
    data: List[Dict[str, Any]] = field(default_factory=list)

    def add_record(self, r…
14 0 Open
System design patterns easy

How to Implement a Factory Method by Type String in Python

A factory method maps a type string to a class, creating and returning the appropriate object instance while handling unknown types gracefully.

factory-pattern design-patterns oop
Python
class Animal:
    def speak(self):
        raise NotImplementedError


class Dog(Animal):
    def speak(self):
        return "Woof!"


class Cat(Animal):
    def speak(self):
        return "Meow!"


class AnimalFactory:
    @staticmethod
    def create(animal_type: str) -> Animal:
        animal_types = {
          …
17 0 Open
System design patterns easy

How to Implement a Simple Event Bus in Python

Create a publish-subscribe event bus using dataclasses and defaultdict to decouple event producers from consumers.

event-bus publish-subscribe design-patterns
Python
from collections import defaultdict
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from typing import Callable, Dict, List, Set


@dataclass
class EventBus:
    _subscribers: Dict[str, List[Callable]] = field(
        default_factory=lambda: defaultdict(list)
    )

    def subscribe(self, event_type: str, handler: Callable…
18 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…
20 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…
16 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…
17 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__ …
14 0 Open
System design patterns easy

How to Implement the Repository Pattern in Python with an In-Memory Dict

Stores, retrieves, updates, and deletes user records in memory using a Repository abstraction over a plain dict, isolating data access from business logic.

repository-pattern design-patterns in-memory
Python
class UserRepository:
    def __init__(self):
        self._storage = {}
        self._next_id = 1

    def create(self, name, email):
        user_id = self._next_id
        self._next_id += 1
        self._storage[user_id] = {"id": user_id, "name": name, "email": email}
        return self._storage[user_id]

    def…
14 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]:
      …
15 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 …
17 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…
14 0 Open
System design patterns easy

How to Mock Hexagonal Architecture Ports and Adapters in Python

Mock an email adapter in a hexagonal architecture with unittest.mock to test business logic in isolation.

hexagonal-architecture unittest-mock dependency-injection
Python
from unittest.mock import Mock

class EmailService:
    def send(self, recipient, message):
        raise NotImplementedError

class OrderProcessor:
    def __init__(self, email_service):
        self.email_service = email_service
    
    def process_order(self, order_id, customer_email):
        # Business logic
   …
18 0 Open
System design patterns easy

How to Mock a Metrics Decorator in Python with unittest.mock

This code demonstrates a timing decorator that wraps a function to measure execution time and prints the duration, with a unit test using unittest.mock to patch the print function and assert it was called.

decorators unittest.mock metrics
Python
import time
from functools import wraps
from unittest.mock import patch

def add_metrics(func):
    @wraps(func)
    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
        start = time.perf_counter()
        result = func(*args, **kwargs)
        elapsed = time.perf_counter() - start
        print(f"{func.__name__} took {elapsed:.6f}s…
18 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 easy

How to Mock the Ambassador Pattern Retry Client in Python

This code demonstrates the ambassador pattern for API clients by simulating a flaky request and retrying with exponential backoff, useful for testing resilience in system design.

retry ambassador-pattern mock
Python
import time
import random


class RetryingClient:
    """Retry wrapper simulating a flaky ambassador-style API client."""

    def __init__(self, max_attempts=3, base_delay=0.1):
        self.max_attempts = max_attempts
        self.base_delay = base_delay
        self.attempts = 0

    def _flaky_request(self):
     …
18 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

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.