Python Cheat Sheet - Keywords
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Keyword Description Code example
False, True Data values from the data type Boolean False == (1 > 2), True == (2 > 1)
and, or, not Logical operators: x, y = True, False
(x and y) → both x and y must be True (x or y) == True # True
(x or y) → either x or y must be True (x and y) == False # True
(not x) → x must be false (not y) == True # True
break Ends loop prematurely while(True):
break # no infinite loop
print("hello world")
continue Finishes current loop iteration while(True):
continue
print("43") # dead code
class Defines a new class → a real-world concept class Beer:
(object oriented programming) def __init__(self):
self.content = 1.0
def Defines a new function or class method. For latter, def drink(self):
first parameter (“self”) points to the class object. self.content = 0.0
When calling class method, first parameter is implicit.
becks = Beer() # constructor - create class
becks.drink() # beer empty: b.content == 0
if, elif, else Conditional program execution: program starts with x = int(input("your value: "))
“if” branch, tries the “elif” branches, and finishes with if x > 3: print("Big")
“else” branch (until one branch evaluates to True). elif x == 3: print("Medium")
else: print("Small")
for, while # For loop declaration # While loop - same semantics
for i in [0,1,2]: j = 0
print(i) while j < 3:
print(j)
j = j + 1
in Checks whether element is in sequence 42 in [2, 39, 42] # True
is Checks whether both elements point to the same y = x = 3
object x is y # True
[3] is [3] # False
None Empty value constant def f():
x = 2
f() is None # True
lambda Function with no name (anonymous function) (lambda x: x + 3)(3) # returns 6
return Terminates execution of the function and passes the def incrementor(x):
flow of execution to the caller. An optional value after return x + 1
the return keyword specifies the function result. incrementor(4) # returns 5
Python Cheat Sheet - Basic Data Types
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Description Example
Boolean The Boolean data type is a truth value, either ## 1. Boolean Operations
alse.
True or F x, y = True, False
print(x and not y) # True
The Boolean operators ordered by priority: print(not x and y or x) # True
not x → “if x is False, then x, else y”
x and y → “if x is False, then x, else y” ## 2. If condition evaluates to False
x or y → “if x is False, then y, else x” if None or 0 or 0.0 or '' or [] or {} or set():
# None, 0, 0.0, empty strings, or empty
These comparison operators evaluate to True: # container types are evaluated to False
1 < 2 and 0 <= 1 and 3 > 2 and 2 >=2 and
print("Dead code") # Not reached
1 == 1 and 1 != 0 # True
Integer, An integer is a positive or negative number ## 3. Arithmetic Operations
Float without floating point (e.g. 3 ). A float is a x, y = 3, 2
positive or negative number with floating point print(x + y) # = 5
precision (e.g. 3.14159265359). print(x - y) # = 1
print(x * y) # = 6
The ‘//’ operator performs integer division. print(x / y) # = 1.5
The result is an integer value that is rounded print(x // y) # = 1
towards the smaller integer number print(x % y) # = 1s
(e.g. 3 // 2 == 1). print(-x) # = -3
print(abs(-x)) # = 3
print(int(3.9)) # = 3
print(float(3)) # = 3.0
print(x ** y) # = 9
String Python Strings are sequences of characters. ## 4. Indexing and Slicing
s = "The youngest pope was 11 years old"
The four main ways to create strings are the print(s[0]) # 'T'
following. print(s[1:3]) # 'he'
print(s[-3:-1]) # 'ol'
1. Single quotes print(s[-3:]) # 'old'
'Yes'
x = s.split() # creates string array of words
2. Double quotes print(x[-3] + " " + x[-1] + " " + x[2] + "s")
"Yes"
# '11 old popes'
3. Triple quotes (multi-line)
"""Yes
## 5. Most Important String Methods
We Can"""
y = " This is lazy\t\n "
4. String method
print(y.strip()) # Remove Whitespace: 'This is lazy'
str(5) == '5' # True
print("DrDre".lower()) # Lowercase: 'drdre'
5. Concatenation
print("attention".upper()) # Uppercase: 'ATTENTION'
"Ma" + "hatma" # 'Mahatma'
print("smartphone".startswith("smart")) # True
print("smartphone".endswith("phone")) # True
print("another".find("other")) # Match index: 2
These are whitespace characters in strings.
print("cheat".replace("ch", "m")) # 'meat'
● Newline \n print(','.join(["F", "B", "I"])) # 'F,B,I'
● Space s
\
print(len("Rumpelstiltskin")) # String length: 15
● Tab t
\ print("ear" in "earth") # Contains: True
Python Cheat Sheet - Complex Data Types
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Description Example
List A container data type that stores a l = [1, 2, 2]
sequence of elements. Unlike strings, lists print(len(l)) # 3
are mutable: modification possible.
Adding Add elements to a list with (i) append, (ii) [1, 2, 2].append(4) # [1, 2, 2, 4]
elements insert, or (iii) list concatenation. [1, 2, 4].insert(2,2) # [1, 2, 2, 4]
The append operation is very fast. [1, 2, 2] + [4] # [1, 2, 2, 4]
Removal Removing an element can be slower. [1, 2, 2, 4].remove(1) # [2, 2, 4]
Reversing This reverses the order of list elements. [1, 2, 3].reverse() # [3, 2, 1]
Sorting Sorts a list. The computational complexity [2, 4, 2].sort() # [2, 2, 4]
of sorting is O(n log n) for n list elements.
Indexing Finds the first occurence of an element in [2, 2, 4].index(2) # index of element 4 is "0"
the list & returns its index. Can be slow as [2, 2, 4].index(2,1) # index of element 2 after pos 1 is "1"
the whole list is traversed.
Stack Python lists can be used intuitively as stack stack = [3]
via the two list operations append() and stack.append(42) # [3, 42]
pop(). stack.pop() # 42 (stack: [3])
stack.pop() # 3 (stack: [])
Set A set is an unordered collection of basket = {'apple', 'eggs', 'banana', 'orange'}
elements. Each can exist only once. same = set(['apple', 'eggs', 'banana', 'orange'])
Dictionary The dictionary is a useful data structure for calories = {'apple' : 52, 'banana' : 89, 'choco' : 546}
storing (key, value) pairs.
Reading and Read and write elements by specifying the print(calories['apple'] < calories['choco']) # True
writing key within the brackets. Use the keys() and calories['cappu'] = 74
elements values() functions to access all keys and print(calories['banana'] < calories['cappu']) # False
values of the dictionary. print('apple' in calories.keys()) # True
print(52 in calories.values()) # True
Dictionary You can loop over the (key, value) pairs of for k, v in calories.items():
Looping a dictionary with the items() method. print(k) if v > 500 else None # 'chocolate'
Membership Check with the ‘in’ keyword whether the basket = {'apple', 'eggs', 'banana', 'orange'}
operator set, list, or dictionary contains an element. print('eggs' in basket} # True
Set containment is faster than list print('mushroom' in basket} # False
containment.
List and Set List comprehension is the concise Python # List comprehension
Comprehens way to create lists. Use brackets plus an l = [('Hi ' + x) for x in ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Pete']]
ion expression, followed by a for clause. Close print(l) # ['Hi Alice', 'Hi Bob', 'Hi Pete']
with zero or more for or if clauses. l2 = [x * y for x in range(3) for y in range(3) if x>y]
print(l2) # [0, 0, 2]
Set comprehension is similar to list # Set comprehension
comprehension. squares = { x**2 for x in [0,2,4] if x < 4 } # {0, 4}
Python Cheat Sheet - Classes
“A puzzle a day to learn, code, and play” → Visit f inxter.com
Description Example
Classes A class encapsulates data and functionality - data as class Dog:
attributes, and functionality as methods. It is a blueprint """ Blueprint of a dog """
to create concrete instances in the memory.
# class variable shared by all instances
species = ["canis lupus"]
def __init__(self, name, color):
self.name = name
self.state = "sleeping"
self.color = color
def command(self, x):
if x == self.name:
self.bark(2)
elif x == "sit":
Instance You are an instance of the class human. An instance is a self.state = "sit"
concrete implementation of a class: all attributes of an else:
instance have a fixed value. Your hair is blond, brown, or self.state = "wag tail"
black - but never unspecified.
def bark(self, freq):
Each instance has its own attributes independent of for i in range(freq):
other instances. Yet, class variables are different. These print("[" + self.name
are data values associated with the class, not the + "]: Woof!")
instances. Hence, all instance share the same class
pecies in the example.
variable s
bello = Dog("bello", "black")
Self The first argument when defining any method is always alice = Dog("alice", "white")
elf argument. This argument specifies the
the s
print(bello.color) # black
instance on which you call the method.
print(alice.color) # white
self gives the Python interpreter the information about
the concrete instance. To define a method, you use s elf bello.bark(1) # [bello]: Woof!
to modify the instance attributes. But to call an instance
method, you do not need to specify s elf. alice.command("sit")
print("[alice]: " + alice.state)
Creation You can create classes “on the fly” and use them as # [alice]: sit
logical units to store complex data types.
bello.command("no")
class Employee(): print("[bello]: " + bello.state)
pass # [bello]: wag tail
employee = Employee()
employee.salary = 122000 alice.command("alice")
employee.firstname = "alice" # [alice]: Woof!
employee.lastname = "wonderland" # [alice]: Woof!
print(employee.firstname + " " bello.species += ["wulf"]
+ employee.lastname + " " print(len(bello.species)
+ str(employee.salary) + "$") == len(alice.species)) # True (!)
# alice wonderland 122000$
