Python Tips

Published on by Soham Bharambe Category: Python

Welcome to the “Python Tips” post! Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting, the right tricks can make your code cleaner, faster, and more fun. Below are some of the best-kept secrets that every Pythonista should know. Grab a cup of coffee, read on, and let’s level up your Python game.

1️⃣ Use List Comprehensions for Concise Loops

Instead of this:

squared = []
for n in range(10):
    squared.append(n ** 2)

You can do this in a single line:

squared = [n ** 2 for n in range(10)]

Not only is it shorter, it’s also faster because list comprehensions are executed in C under the hood.

2️⃣ Leverage Enumerate When Indexes Matter

Want both the index and value when iterating?

for i, val in enumerate(my_list):
    print(i, val)

Using range(len(my_list)) feels like a relic of other languages. Enumerate is cleaner and less error‑prone.

3️⃣ The with Statement Saves You From Boilerplate

Open a file, read it, and close it. The with keyword guarantees that the file is closed even if an exception occurs:

with open('data.txt', 'r') as f:
    data = f.read()

4️⃣ Use defaultdict to Avoid Key Errors

Need a dictionary that returns a default value instead of throwing KeyError? Import it from collections:

from collections import defaultdict

counts = defaultdict(int)
for word in words:
    counts[word] += 1

5️⃣ Keep Your Functions Small & Single‑Purpose

It’s tempting to cram logic, but tiny, focused functions are easier to test and reuse. A good rule of thumb: a function should do one thing and do it well.

6️⃣ Use f‑strings for Readable Formatting

Python 3.6+ introduced f‑strings, which are both concise and fast:

name = "Alice"
age = 30
print(f"{name} is {age} years old.")

7️⃣ Master the zip Function

Pairing two lists together? zip does it elegantly:

names = ["Alice", "Bob", "Charlie"]
ages = [30, 25, 35]
for name, age in zip(names, ages):
    print(f"{name} is {age} years old.")

8️⃣ Take Advantage of any and all

Need to check if any or all elements satisfy a condition?

any(n % 2 == 0 for n in numbers)  # True if at least one even number
all(n > 0 for n in numbers)        # True if all numbers are positive

9️⃣ Use itertools for Powerful Iterations

The itertools module offers many utilities like chain, product, and combinations. For example:

import itertools
for pair in itertools.combinations([1,2,3], 2):
    print(pair)

🔟 Keep an Eye on Python’s Memory Footprint

Generators are memory‑friendly. When you only need to iterate once, use a generator expression:

sum(x*x for x in range(1000000))

Those are just the tip of the iceberg! Experiment with these patterns and see how they improve your code. Happy coding! 🎉

Python code gif

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