Python notes

studies.py

# if can be used as an expression
# Equivalent of C's '?:' ternary operator
"yay!" if 0 > 1 else "nay!"  # => "nay!"

# You can look at ranges with slice syntax.
# The start index is included, the end index is not
# (It's a closed/open range for you mathy types.)
li[1:3]   # Return list from index 1 to 2 => [2, 4]
li[2:]    # Return list starting from index 2 => [4, 3]
li[:3]    # Return list from beginning until index 3  => [1, 2, 4]
li[::2]   # Return list selecting elements with a step size of 2 => [1, 4]
li[::-1]  # Return list in reverse order => [3, 4, 2, 1]
# Use any combination of these to make advanced slices
# li[start:end:step]

# You can also do extended unpacking
a, *b, c = (1, 2, 3, 4)  # a is now 1, b is now [2, 3] and c is now 4

# Note keys for dictionaries have to be immutable types. This is to ensure that
# the key can be converted to a constant hash value for quick look-ups.
# Immutable types include ints, floats, strings, tuples.
invalid_dict = {[1,2,3]: "123"}  # => Yield a TypeError: unhashable type: 'list'
valid_dict = {(1,2,3):[1,2,3]}   # Values can be of any type, however.

# Look up values with []
filled_dict = {"one": 1, "two": 2, "three": 3}
filled_dict["one"]  # => 1

# Get all keys as an iterable with "keys()". We need to wrap the call in list()
# to turn it into a list. We'll talk about those later.  Note - for Python
# versions <3.7, dictionary key ordering is not guaranteed. Your results might
# not match the example below exactly. However, as of Python 3.7, dictionary
# items maintain the order at which they are inserted into the dictionary.
list(filled_dict.keys())  # => ["three", "two", "one"] in Python <3.7
list(filled_dict.keys())  # => ["one", "two", "three"] in Python 3.7+


# Get all values as an iterable with "values()". Once again we need to wrap it
# in list() to get it out of the iterable. Note - Same as above regarding key
# ordering.
list(filled_dict.values())  # => [3, 2, 1]  in Python <3.7
list(filled_dict.values())  # => [1, 2, 3] in Python 3.7+

# Check for existence of keys in a dictionary with "in"
"one" in filled_dict  # => True
1 in filled_dict      # => False

# Looking up a non-existing key is a KeyError
filled_dict["four"]  # KeyError

# Use "get()" method to avoid the KeyError
filled_dict.get("one")      # => 1
filled_dict.get("four")     # => None
# The get method supports a default argument when the value is missing
filled_dict.get("one", 4)   # => 1
filled_dict.get("four", 4)  # => 4

# "setdefault()" inserts into a dictionary only if the given key isn't present
filled_dict.setdefault("five", 5)  # filled_dict["five"] is set to 5
filled_dict.setdefault("five", 6)  # filled_dict["five"] is still 5

# Adding to a dictionary
filled_dict.update({"four":4})  # => {"one": 1, "two": 2, "three": 3, "four": 4}
filled_dict["four"] = 4         # another way to add to dict

# Remove keys from a dictionary with del
del filled_dict["one"]  # Removes the key "one" from filled dict

# From Python 3.5 you can also use the additional unpacking options
{"a": 1, **{"b": 2}}  # => {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
{"a": 1, **{"a": 2}}  # => {'a': 2}

# Sets store ... well sets
empty_set = set()
# Initialize a set with a bunch of values.
some_set = {1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4}  # some_set is now {1, 2, 3, 4}

# Similar to keys of a dictionary, elements of a set have to be immutable.
invalid_set = {[1], 1}  # => Raises a TypeError: unhashable type: 'list'
valid_set = {(1,), 1}

# Add one more item to the set
filled_set = some_set
filled_set.add(5)  # filled_set is now {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
# Sets do not have duplicate elements
filled_set.add(5)  # it remains as before {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

# Do set intersection with &
other_set = {3, 4, 5, 6}
filled_set & other_set  # => {3, 4, 5}

# Do set union with |
filled_set | other_set  # => {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

# Do set difference with -
{1, 2, 3, 4} - {2, 3, 5}  # => {1, 4}

# Do set symmetric difference with ^
{1, 2, 3, 4} ^ {2, 3, 5}  # => {1, 4, 5}

# Check if set on the left is a superset of set on the right
{1, 2} >= {1, 2, 3}  # => False

# Check if set on the left is a subset of set on the right
{1, 2} <= {1, 2, 3}  # => True

# Check for existence in a set with in
2 in filled_set   # => True
10 in filled_set  # => False

# Make a one layer deep copy
filled_set = some_set.copy()  # filled_set is {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
filled_set is some_set        # => False

# Here is an if statement. Indentation is significant in Python!
# Convention is to use four spaces, not tabs.
# This prints "some_var is smaller than 10"
if some_var > 10:
    print("some_var is totally bigger than 10.")
elif some_var < 10:    # This elif clause is optional.
    print("some_var is smaller than 10.")
else:                  # This is optional too.
    print("some_var is indeed 10.")

# Match/Case — Introduced in Python 3.10
# It compares a value against multiple patterns and executes the matching case block.

command = "run"

match command:
    case "run":
        print("The robot started to run 🏃‍♂️")
    case "speak" | "say_hi":  # multiple options (OR pattern)
        print("The robot said hi 🗣️")
    case code if command.isdigit():  # conditional
        print(f"The robot execute code: {code}")
    case _:  # _ is a wildcard that never fails (like default/else)
        print("Invalid command ❌")

# Output: "the robot started to run 🏃‍♂️"


"""
For loops iterate over lists
prints:
    dog is a mammal
    cat is a mammal
    mouse is a mammal
"""
for animal in ["dog", "cat", "mouse"]:
    # You can use format() to interpolate formatted strings
    print("{} is a mammal".format(animal))

"""
"range(number)" returns an iterable of numbers
from zero up to (but excluding) the given number
prints:
    0
    1
    2
    3
"""
for i in range(4):
    print(i)

"""
"range(lower, upper)" returns an iterable of numbers
from the lower number to the upper number
prints:
    4
    5
    6
    7
"""
for i in range(4, 8):
    print(i)

"""
"range(lower, upper, step)" returns an iterable of numbers
from the lower number to the upper number, while incrementing
by step. If step is not indicated, the default value is 1.
prints:
    4
    6
"""
for i in range(4, 8, 2):
    print(i)

"""
Loop over a list to retrieve both the index and the value of each list item:
    0 dog
    1 cat
    2 mouse
"""
animals = ["dog", "cat", "mouse"]
for i, value in enumerate(animals):
    print(i, value)

"""
While loops go until a condition is no longer met.
prints:
    0
    1
    2
    3
"""
x = 0
while x < 4:
    print(x)
    x += 1  # Shorthand for x = x + 1

# Handle exceptions with a try/except block
try:
    # Use "raise" to raise an error
    raise IndexError("This is an index error")
except IndexError as e:
    pass                 # Refrain from this, provide a recovery (next example).
except (TypeError, NameError):
    pass                 # Multiple exceptions can be processed jointly.
else:                    # Optional clause to the try/except block. Must follow
                         # all except blocks.
    print("All good!")   # Runs only if the code in try raises no exceptions
finally:                 # Execute under all circumstances
    print("We can clean up resources here")