Python Cheat Sheet: Functions and Tricks 

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    Description  Example  Result 

A map(func, iter)  Executes the function on all elements of  list(map(​lambda​ x: x[​0​], [​'red'​, [​'r'​, ​'g'​, ​'b'​]
D the iterable  'green'​, ​'blue'​]))
V
A map(func, i1, ..., Executes the function on all k elements of  list(map(​lambda​ x, y: str(x) + ​' '​ + [​'0 apples'​, ​'2
ik)  the k iterables  y + ​'s'​ , [​0​, ​2​, ​2​], [​'apple'​, oranges'​, ​'2
N
C 'orange'​, ​'banana'​])) bananas'​]
E
string.join(iter)  Concatenates iterable elements  ' marries '​.join(list([​'Alice'​, 'Alice marries Bob'
D separated by ​string  'Bob'​]))

F filter(func, Filters out elements in iterable for which  list(filter(​lambda​ x: ​True​ ​if​ x>​17 [​18​]
U iterable)  function returns ​False​ ​(or 0)  else​ ​False​, [​1​, ​15​, ​17​, ​18​]))
N
C string.strip()  Removes leading and trailing  print(​" \n \t 42 \t "​.strip()) 42
T whitespaces of string 
I
O sorted(iter)  Sorts iterable in ascending order  sorted([​8​, ​3​, ​2​, ​42​, ​5​]) [​2​, ​3​, ​5​, ​8​, ​42​]
N
sorted(iter, Sorts according to the key function in  sorted([​8​, ​3​, 2 ​ ​, ​42​, ​5​], key=​lambda [​42​, ​2​, ​3​, ​5​, ​8​]
S
key=key)  ascending order  x: ​0​ ​if​ x==​42​ e​ lse​ x)

help(func)  Returns documentation of ​func  help(str.upper()) '... to uppercase.'

zip(i1, i2, ...)  Groups the i-th elements of iterators ​i1, list(zip([​'Alice'​, ​'Anna'​], [​'Bob'​, [(​'Alice'​, ​'Bob'​),
i2, ...​ together  'Jon'​, ​'Frank'​])) (​'Anna'​, ​'Jon'​)]

Unzip  Equal to: 1) unpack the zipped list, 2) zip  list(zip(*[(​'Alice'​, ​'Bob'​), [(​'Alice'​, ​'Anna'​),
the result  (​'Anna'​, ​'Jon'​)])) (​'Bob'​, ​'Jon'​)]

enumerate(iter)  Assigns a counter value to each element  list(enumerate([​'Alice'​, ​'Bob'​, [(​0​, ​'Alice'​), (​1​,
of the iterable  'Jon'​])) 'Bob'​), (​2​, ​'Jon'​)]

T python -m http.server  Want to share files between PC and phone? Run this command in PC’s shell. <P> is any port number 0–65535. Type < 
R <P>  IP address of PC>:<P> in the phone’s browser. You can now browse the files in the PC directory. 
I
C Read comic  import​ antigravity Open the comic series xkcd in your web browser
K
S
Zen of Python  import​ this  '...Beautiful is better than ugly. Explicit is ...'

Swapping numbers  Swapping variables is a breeze in Python.  a, b = ​'Jane'​, ​'Alice' a = ​'Alice'

No offense, Java!  a, b = b, a b = '​ Jane'

Unpacking arguments  Use a sequence as function arguments  def​ ​f​(x, y, z)​:​ return​ x + y * z
via asterisk operator *. Use a dictionary  f(*[​1​, ​3​, ​4​]) 13
(key, value) via double asterisk operator **  f(**{​'z'​ : ​4​, ​'x'​ : ​1​, ​'y'​ : 3
​ ​}) 13

Extended Unpacking  Use unpacking for multiple assignment  a, *b = [​1​, ​2​, ​3​, ​4​, ​5​] a = ​1
feature in Python  b = [​2​, ​3​, ​4, 5​]

Merge two dictionaries  Use unpacking to merge two dictionaries  x={​'Alice'​ : ​18​} z = {​'Alice'​: ​18​,
into a single one  y={​'Bob'​ : ​27​, ​'Ann'​ : ​22​} 'Bob'​: ​27​, ​'Ann'​: ​22​}
z = {**x,**y}