Dictionaries in Python
I. Simple Dictionary
1. Dictionary
• A data structure used to store data in key-value pairs.
• Each key is used to access its corresponding value.
2. Create a Dictionary
Syntax:
Dictionary_name = {key1: value1, key2: value2, ..., keyn: valuen}
• Note: The keys must be strings or numbers.
Example:
Student = {"Name": "Mohamed", "Age": 21, "Major": "Computer Sciences"}
3. Accessing Dictionary Values
Syntax:
Value = Dictionary_name[key]
Example:
print(Student["Name"])
print(Student["Age"])
Output:
Mohamed
21
• Note: If the key doesn't exist, Python raises an error.
Using get method:
Syntax:
Value = dictionary_name.get(key, default_value)
Example:
print([Link]("Age"))
print([Link]("City", "doesn't exist"))
Output:
21
doesn't exist
4. Adding and Modifying Elements
• Modifying an element
Syntax:
Dictionary_name[key] = new_value
• Adding an element
Syntax:
Dictionary_name[new_key] = value
Example:
Student["Name"] = "Abderrahmane"
print(Student)
Student["Gender"] = "male"
print(Student)
5. Deleting an Element
1. Using del
Syntax:
del dictionary_name[key]
Example:
del Student["Gender"]
print(Student)
Output:
Student = {"Name": "Abderrahmane", "Age": 21, "Major": "Computer Sciences"}
2. Using pop
Syntax:
dictionary_name.pop(key)
Example:
print([Link]("Gender"))
Output:
Student = {"Name": "Abderrahmane", "Age": 21, "Major": "Computer Sciences"}
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3. Using clear
To remove all elements in a dictionary.
Syntax:
dictionary_name.clear()
6. Dictionary Iteration
6.1 Loop Over Keys
Syntax:
for key in dictionary_name:
# code
Example:
for key in Student:
print(key)
Output:
Name
Age
Major
6.2 Loop Over Values
Syntax:
for value in dictionary_name.values():
# code
Example:
for value in [Link]():
print(value)
Output:
Abderrahmane
21
Computer Sciences
6.3 Loop Over Key-Value Pairs
• Method 1:
for key, value in dictionary_name.items():
# code
Example:
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for key, value in [Link]():
print(key, value)
Output:
Name Abderrahmane
Age 21
Major Computer Sciences
• Method 2:
for elem in dictionary_name.items():
# code
Example:
for elem in [Link]():
print(elem)
Output:
('Name', 'Abderrahmane')
('Age', 21)
('Major', 'Computer Sciences')
II. Nested Dictionaries
1. Definition
• A dictionary that contains other dictionaries as values.
2. Syntax
Dictionary_name = {
key1: {subkey11: value11, subkey12: value12},
key2: {subkey21: value21, subkey22: value22}
}
Example:
students = {
"student1": {"name": "Ali", "age": 20, "major": "Economics"},
"student2": {"name": "Sara", "age": 22, "major": "Business"}
}
• student1, student2 are main keys of the main dictionary students.
• Name, age, major are inner keys
• Their values are dictionaries themselves.
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3. Accessing an Element in a Nested Dictionary
Syntax:
Dictionary_name[main_key][inner_key]
Example:
print(students["student1"]["age"])
Output:
20
4. Modifying a Value
Syntax:
Dictionary_name[main_key][inner_key] = value
Example:
students["student1"]["age"] = 21
print(students["student1"])
Output:
{'name': 'Ali', 'age': 21, 'major': 'Economics'}
5. Adding a New Inner Key
Syntax:
Dictionary_name[main_key][new_inner_key] = value
Example:
students["student1"]["math"] = 18
print(students["student1"])
Output:
{'name': 'Ali', 'age': 21, 'major': 'Economics', 'math': 18}
6. Adding a New Main Key
Syntax:
Dictionary_name[new_main_key] = {inner_key1: value1, inner_key2: value2}
Example:
students["student3"] = {"name": "Omar", "age": 23, "major": "marketing"}
print(students["student3"])
Output:
5
{'name': 'Omar', 'age': 23, 'major': 'marketing'}
7. Deleting
• Deleting a Main Key
Syntax:
del Dictionary_name[main_key]
Dictionary_name.pop(main_key)
Example:
del students["student3"]
[Link]("student3")
• Deleting an Inner Key
Syntax:
del Dictionary_name[main_key][inner_key]
Example:
del students["student2"]["age"]
students["student1"].pop("age")
8. Looping Through Main Keys
Syntax:
for key in dictionary_name:
print(key)
Example:
for student in students:
print(student)
Output:
student1
student2
student3
9. Looping Through Nested Values
Syntax:
for value in dictionary_name.values():
print(value[inner_key])
Example:
for value in [Link]():
print(value["name"])
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Output:
Ali
Sara
Omar
