Introduction
The primary reason that has made Python popular among developers and businesses is its high-level programming capabilities with a simple, easy–to–write syntax. This object-oriented language needs no introduction. The versatility and promising scope of Python is evident in its diverse applications and projected growth by 2030. Yet, regardless of whether you are a beginner or a seasoned Python developer, there are times when a Python code you run has taken you by surprise. Python’s easy-to-learn syntax should not be taken for granted. Missing the subtleties of this programming language can lead to coding mistakes. Which is why in this blog, we have a few useful tips and tricks that will help Python programmers to code efficiently.
Python at a Glance
Ever since it was created in the late 1980s by the Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum, Python has earned its name as a programming language with extensive applications across domains. As a general-purpose programming language, it is equipped with extensive support modules, libraries, and a large, active developer community. Other than its common usage for web apps and software development, Python is used to build applications for game development, data science, machine learning, and IoT.
Top 12 Python Tips and Tricks
The vast scope of Python hints at the extensive knowledge that developers must have to use the language efficiently. It makes sense, then that developers leverage a few handy Python tips and tricks that are shared through the global community. This would improve code readability, development speed, and resource utilization, ease the learning curve, increase productivity, and reduce maintenance effort.
6 Python Basic-level Coding Tips
- Use the in-place swapping technique to swap two numbers.
With Python, you can intuitively do assignments and swap in one line.
In the given example, the assignment on the right seeds a new tuple. The one on the left immediately unpacks that tuple to the names <x> and <y>.
The new tuple gets unreferenced and flagged for garbage collection after the assignment follows through. Also, the variables are swapped eventually.
2. Chain multiple comparison operators in a single line of code.
When you chain or aggregate comparison operators, it helps you make your Python code concise and easy to read.
In the given example, the code is easier to read after chaining as it shows three comparisons chained together.
3. Use multiline strings to increase code readability.
While it may be tricky to manage multiline strings in Python, you can span the string to the next line by using a backslash.
Alternatively, you can also enclose the string inside a starting and ending triple quote. However, both methods could lead to incorrect indentation.
A solution to this is splitting the strings into multiple lines and enclosing the entire string in parenthesis.
4. Store individual elements of a list into separate variables.
Use a list to initialize variables. However, ensure that the number of elements in the list should not be more than the count of variables while unpacking.
5. Check the result of recently executed commands in Python.
When an expression or function is tested, the result is dispatched to a temporary variable, _ (an underscore). This is a useful hack in the Python console that is worth discovering.
As you can see, in the given example, the output of the last executed expression is referenced through “_”.
6. Create dictionaries or sets without writing long and complex code.
Using dictionary/set comprehensions just like you use list comprehensions.
As you can see, the only difference in the two statements is <:>.
6 Python Intermediate-level Coding Tips
1. Inspect the properties of an object in Python.
This example shows how you can inspect objects with the dir() method.
2. Use ‘in’ operator to optimize long if statements.
You can verify multiple values in this manner. Instead of doing this:
You can do this:
You can use ‘{1,3,5,7}’ instead of ‘[1,3,5,7]’ for the ‘in’ operator because ‘set’ can access each element by O(1).
3. Find out the version of Python your code is running on.
If your Python engine is currently running on a version with limited support, it might not be a good idea to execute your program. You can use this coding snippet, as it also prints the currently used Python version in a readable format.
Output when running on Python 2.7:
20 Essential Python Tips and Tricks for Programmers
We have a few useful tips and tricks that will help Python programmers code efficiently.
PublishedJanuary 14, 2024
CategoryEngineering
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