Comprehensions & generators
List/dict/set comprehensions, generator expressions, and lazy iteration.
How to Group Data in Python with defaultdict and Comprehensions
Group a list of items by a computed key using a defaultdict-based generator helper and an alternative dictionary comprehension approach.
from collections import defaultdict
def group_by(data, key_func):
"""Group items in data by the value returned by key_func."""
result = defaultdict(list)
for item in data:
result[key_func(item)].append(item)
return dict(result)
def group_by_comprehension(data, key_func):
"""Same grouping …How to Implement the Iterator Protocol in Python
A manual iterator class using __iter__ and __next__, compared with an equivalent generator using yield.
class ManualCounter:
def __init__(self, limit):
self.limit = limit
self.current = 0
def __iter__(self):
return self
def __next__(self):
if self.current >= self.limit:
raise StopIteration
value = self.current
self.current += 1
return valu…How to Lazily Transform Items in Python with a Generator
Map a transform function over an iterable lazily with a generator so items are processed on demand, not up front.
def lazy_map(items, transform):
for item in items:
yield transform(item)
def double(x):
return x * 2
def upper(s):
return s.upper()
if __name__ == "__main__":
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
doubled = lazy_map(numbers, double)
print("Doubled numbers:", end=" ")
for value in doubled:
…How to Parse CSV Rows as Generator Dicts in Python
Reads a CSV file and yields each row as a dictionary one at a time using a generator, so the file is processed lazily.
import csv
from pathlib import Path
def csv_to_dicts(filepath):
with open(filepath, mode="r", newline="", encoding="utf-8") as file:
reader = csv.DictReader(file)
for row in reader:
yield row
if __name__ == "__main__":
sample_csv = Path("sample_data.csv")
sample_csv.write_text…How to Parse Data with Generators and Comprehensions in Python
This code demonstrates using a generator expression to filter active users and a dictionary comprehension to aggregate scores by name.
def parse_data_helper(raw_records):
"""Extract active users' names and scores from raw records."""
parsed = (
(record["name"], record["score"])
for record in raw_records
if record["active"] and record["score"] >= 0
)
return list(parsed)
def aggregate_scores(parsed_data):
"…How to Repeat a Generator Cycle Single Value in Python
Build a generator that repeats a single value across multiple cycles, each cycle adding an extra repetition to mark its completion.
def repeat_with_cycle(value, cycle_limit, repetitions):
"""
Repeats a single value until reaching a cycle limit,
then yields the value one more time to demonstrate a full cycle.
Args:
value: The single value to repeat.
cycle_limit: Number of repetitions per cycle.
repetitio…How to Reset Python's Random Seed for Deterministic Output
This code shows how to seed Python's random module to generate identical random sequences across runs, ensuring reproducibility.
import random
def seeded_random_sequence(seed, count=5, low=1, high=100):
random.seed(seed)
return [random.randint(low, high) for _ in range(count)]
if __name__ == "__main__":
seed_value = 42
first_run = seeded_random_sequence(seed_value)
print("First run:", first_run)
# Reset seed and gener…How to Send Values into a Python Generator Coroutine
Use the .send() method to pass values into a running generator coroutine and capture them.
def coroutine():
received = []
while True:
value = yield
received.append(value)
print(f"Coroutine received: {value}")
if value == "stop":
break
return received
if __name__ == "__main__":
gen = coroutine()
next(gen) # Prime the generator
gen.send("he…How to Sort Data with Comprehensions and Generators in Python
Sort a list of tuples by a key, then use a list comprehension to extract names and a generator to square high ranks.
data = [("Anna", 3), ("Ben", 1), ("Clara", 2), ("Dan", 5), ("Eve", 4)]
# Comprehension: list of tuples (name, rank) sorted ascending by rank
sorted_by_rank = sorted(data, key=lambda x: x[1])
# Comprehension: extract just the names in rank order
names_in_rank_order = [name for name, rank in sorted_by_rank]
# Generat…How to Split Data into Chunks and Use Generators in Python
Split a list into fixed-size chunks with a list comprehension and square even numbers lazily with a generator expression.
def split_numbers(data, chunk_size):
return [data[i:i + chunk_size] for i in range(0, len(data), chunk_size)]
def square_even_numbers(numbers):
return (n ** 2 for n in numbers if n % 2 == 0)
if __name__ == "__main__":
sample_data = list(range(1, 21))
chunks = split_numbers(sample_data, 5)
print…How to Throw an Exception into a Python Generator
This code demonstrates how to use the .throw() method on a generator to inject an exception at its current yield point and let it recover gracefully.
def demo_throw_into_generator():
"""Demonstrate throwing an exception into a running generator."""
def counter():
"""Generator that counts until interrupted."""
try:
i = 0
while True:
yield i
i += 1
except ValueError as e:
…How to Use Comprehensions and Generators in Python
Demonstrate list, set, and dictionary comprehensions plus generator expressions and generator functions in one beginner-friendly script.
def demonstrate_comprehensions_generators():
# List comprehension: transform and filter in one line
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
squares = [num ** 2 for num in numbers if num % 2 == 0]
print(f"Square of even numbers (list comprehension): {squares}")
# Set comprehension: unique values
…How to Use Comprehensions and Generators to Check Data in Python
A beginner-friendly helper that filters numeric values, computes squares and cubes with comprehensions and a generator, and returns a summary dictionary.
def check_data(iterable):
"""Return a summary of numeric data using comprehensions and a generator."""
values = [item for item in iterable if isinstance(item, (int, float))]
squares = [x ** 2 for x in values if x > 0]
cubes = (x ** 3 for x in values if x > 0)
cube_list = list(cubes)
return {
…How to Use List Comprehensions and Generators in Python
Analyze a list of numbers using a list comprehension to square evens, a generator for sum, and a generator expression for the maximum squared value.
def analyze_numbers(numbers):
squared = [n ** 2 for n in numbers if n % 2 == 0]
total = sum(n for n in numbers)
max_squared = max((n ** 2 for n in numbers), default=0)
return squared, total, max_squared
if __name__ == "__main__":
data = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
evens_squared, total_sum, max_sq = an…How to Use List Comprehensions and Generators to Format Data in Python
A beginner-friendly helper that formats dictionaries into strings using a list comprehension and generates squared numbers lazily with a generator.
def format_data(items):
"""Format a list of dictionaries into readable strings."""
formatted = [
f"{item.get('name', 'Unknown')}: {item.get('value', 0)} units"
for item in items
if item.get('value', 0) > 0
]
return formatted if formatted else ["No positive values found"]
def g…How to Use List Comprehensions and Generators to Transform Data in Python
Transform a list of integers by squaring even numbers with a list comprehension and cubing odd numbers with a generator.
def transform_data(data):
"""
Transform a list of integers:
- squares of even numbers using a list comprehension
- cubes of odd numbers using a generator
"""
squares = [num ** 2 for num in data if num % 2 == 0]
cubes = (num ** 3 for num in data if num % 2 != 0)
return squares, cubes
i…How to Use starmap() to Unpack Tuple Arguments in Python
Use itertools.starmap to apply a function to each tuple in an iterable, unpacking tuple elements as separate arguments and returning an iterator of results.
from itertools import starmap
def multiply(a, b):
return a * b
if __name__ == "__main__":
pairs = [(2, 3), (4, 5), (6, 7), (8, 9)]
results = list(starmap(multiply, pairs))
print(results)How to Validate Data with Python Comprehensions and Generators
Use list, generator, and dictionary comprehensions to filter and transform data for quick validation in Python.
def validate_integer(data):
return [item for item in data if isinstance(item, int)]
def validate_positive(numbers):
return (num for num in numbers if num > 0)
def validate_string_lengths(data, min_length=3):
return {item: len(item) for item in data if isinstance(item, str) and len(item) >= min_length}
i…How to filter a generator with a predicate function in Python
This code defines a generator function that yields only items from an iterable that satisfy a given predicate, then tests it with even and positive number filters.
def filter_gen(predicate, iterable):
for item in iterable:
if predicate(item):
yield item
def is_even(num):
return num % 2 == 0
def is_positive(num):
return num > 0
if __name__ == "__main__":
numbers = range(-5, 10)
even_numbers = list(filter_gen(is_even, numbers))
p…How to filter even numbers with a Python list comprehension
Build a new list of only the even numbers from 1 to 20 using a single list comprehension with a filter condition.
even_numbers = [num for num in range(1, 21) if num % 2 == 0]
print(even_numbers)How to skip items until a condition is met in Python
Use itertools.dropwhile to skip leading elements while a predicate returns true, then yield the rest of the sequence unchanged.
def is_negative(x):
return x < 0
numbers = [-3, -1, 0, 5, 2, -8, 7]
result = list(itertools.dropwhile(is_negative, numbers))
print(f"Original: {numbers}")
print(f"After dropwhile: {result}")How to stream parse JSON arrays in Python
This code demonstrates two generators: one that streams a JSON array as individual chunks, and another that incrementally parses those chunks into Python objects using json.JSONDecoder.
import json
def json_array_stream(items):
"""Generator that yields JSON-encoded values one at a time."""
yield "["
for i, item in enumerate(items):
if i > 0:
yield ","
yield json.dumps(item)
yield "]"
def parse_json_stream(stream):
"""Consumes a stream of JSON fragme…List Comprehension to Filter Even Numbers in Python
Creates a new list containing only the even numbers from an existing list using a list comprehension with a condition.
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
even_numbers = [n for n in numbers if n % 2 == 0]
print(f"Original: {numbers}")
print(f"Even numbers: {even_numbers}")Memory efficient map over large file in Python
A generator-based streaming map that processes a large file line by line without loading the whole file into memory.
import sys
def process_lines(file_path):
"""Memory-efficient map over a large file: yields processed lines."""
with open(file_path, 'r') as f:
for line in f:
# Example mapping: strip whitespace and uppercase
yield line.strip().upper()
if __name__ == "__main__":
# Use a sma…Browse by section
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Comprehensions & generators — Python code examples
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