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Learn Python 3: Dictionaries Cheatsheet - Codecademy

Dictionaries in Python allow storing data as key-value pairs. Values can be accessed or updated by specifying their key in square brackets, and keys must be immutable types like strings or numbers. Dictionaries can be merged using the update() method, and contain heterogeneous value types. Common dictionary methods include keys(), values(), items(), get(), and pop().

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54 views3 pages

Learn Python 3: Dictionaries Cheatsheet - Codecademy

Dictionaries in Python allow storing data as key-value pairs. Values can be accessed or updated by specifying their key in square brackets, and keys must be immutable types like strings or numbers. Dictionaries can be merged using the update() method, and contain heterogeneous value types. Common dictionary methods include keys(), values(), items(), get(), and pop().

Uploaded by

Rita Fernandes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

06/09/2021, 12:47

Cheatsheets / Learn Python 3

Dictionaries
Accessing and writing data in a Python dictionary
Values in a Python dictionary can be accessed
by placing the key within square brackets next to my_dictionary = {"song":
the dictionary. Values can be written by placing "Estranged", "artist": "Guns N'
key within square brackets next to the dictionary Roses"}
and using the assignment operator ( = ). If the print(my_dictionary["song"])
key already exists, the old value will be
my_dictionary["song"] = "Paradise
overwritten. Attempting to access a value with a
City"
key that does not exist will cause a KeyError .
To illustrate this review card, the second line of
the example code block shows the way to
access the value using the key "song" . The
third line of the code block overwrites the value
that corresponds to the key "song" .

Syntax of the Python dictionary


The syntax for a Python dictionary begins with
the left curly brace ( { ), ends with the right roaster = {"q1": "Ashley", "q2":
curly brace ( } ), and contains zero or more key "Dolly"}
: value items separated by commas ( , ). The
key is separated from the value by a colon
( : ).

Merging Dictionaries with the .update() Method in Python


Given two dictionaries that need to be
combined, Python makes this easy with the dict1 = {'color': 'blue', 'shape':
.update() function. 'circle'}
For dict1.update(dict2) , the key-value pairs of dict2 = {'color': 'red', 'number':
dict2 will be written into the dict1 dictionary. 42}
For keys in both dict1 and dict2 , the value in
dict1 will be overwritten by the corresponding
dict1.update(dict2)
value in dict2 .

# dict1 is now {'color': 'red',


'shape': 'circle', 'number': 42}

https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-python-3/modules/learn-python3-dictionaries/cheatsheet Page 1 of 3
06/09/2021, 12:47

Dictionary value types


Python allows the values in a dictionary to be
any type – string, integer, a list, another dictionary = {
dictionary, boolean, etc. However, keys must 1: 'hello',
always be an immutable data type, such as 'two': True,
strings, numbers, or tuples. '3': [1, 2, 3],
In the example code block, you can see that the 'Four': {'fun': 'addition'},
keys are strings or numbers (int or float). The
5.0: 5.5
values, on the other hand, are many varied data
}
types.

Python dictionaries
A python dictionary is an unordered collection of
items. It contains data as a set of key: value my_dictionary = {1: "L.A. Lakers",
pairs. 2: "Houston Rockets"}

Dictionary Key-Value Methods


When trying to look at the information in a
Python dictionary, there are multiple methods ex_dict = {"a": "anteater", "b":
that return objects that contain the dictionary "bumblebee", "c": "cheetah"}
keys and values.
ex_dict.keys()
● .keys() returns the keys through a
# dict_keys(["a","b","c"])
dict_keys object.

● .values() returns the values through a ex_dict.values()


dict_values object.
# dict_values(["anteater",
● .items() returns both the keys and "bumblebee", "cheetah"])
values through a dict_items object.
ex_dict.items()
# dict_items([("a","anteater"),
("b","bumblebee"),("c","cheetah")])

https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-python-3/modules/learn-python3-dictionaries/cheatsheet Page 2 of 3
06/09/2021, 12:47

get() Method for Dictionary


Python provides a .get() method to access a
dictionary value if it exists. This method takes # without default
the key as the first argument and an optional {"name": "Victor"}.get("name")
default value as the second argument, and it # returns "Victor"
returns the value for the specified key if key is
in the dictionary. If the second argument is not
{"name": "Victor"}.get("nickname")
specified and key is not found then None is
# returns None
returned.

# with default
{"name": "Victor"}.get("nickname",
"nickname is not a key")
# returns "nickname is not a key"

The .pop() Method for Dictionaries in Python


Python dictionaries can remove key-value pairs
with the .pop() method. The method takes a famous_museums = {'Washington':
key as an argument and removes it from the 'Smithsonian Institution', 'Paris':
dictionary. At the same time, it also returns the 'Le Louvre', 'Athens': 'The
value that it removes from the dictionary. Acropolis Museum'}
famous_museums.pop('Athens')
print(famous_museums) #
{'Washington': 'Smithsonian
Institution', 'Paris': 'Le Louvre'}

https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-python-3/modules/learn-python3-dictionaries/cheatsheet Page 3 of 3

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