Python

Dictionary:

Example 3.1. Defining a Dictionary

>>> d = {"server":"mpilgrim", "database":"master"} 
>>> d
{'server': 'mpilgrim', 'database': 'master'}

Example 3.2. Modifying a Dictionar

>>> d

{'server': 'mpilgrim', 'database': 'master'}
>>> d["database"] = "pubs" 
>>> d
{'server': 'mpilgrim', 'database': 'pubs'}
>>> d["uid"] = "sa"        
>>> d
{'server': 'mpilgrim', 'uid': 'sa', 'database': 'pubs'}

Deleting Items from a Dictionary
>>> d
{'server': 'mpilgrim', 'uid': 'sa', 'database': 'master',
42: 'douglas', 'retrycount': 3}
>>> del d[42] 
>>> d
{'server': 'mpilgrim', 'uid': 'sa', 'database': 'master', 'retrycount': 3}
>>> d.clear() 
>>> d
{}

List:

Defining a List

>>> li = ["a", "b", "mpilgrim", "z", "example"] 
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'mpilgrim', 'z', 'example']

Negative List Indices
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'mpilgrim', 'z', 'example']
>>> li[-1] 
'example'
>>> li[-3] 
'mpilgrim'

Adding Elements to a List
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'mpilgrim', 'z', 'example']
>>> li.append("new")               
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'mpilgrim', 'z', 'example', 'new']
>>> li.insert(2, "new")            
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'new', 'mpilgrim', 'z', 'example', 'new']
>>> li.extend(["two", "elements"]) 
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'new', 'mpilgrim', 'z', 'example', 'new', 'two', 'elements']

The Difference between extend and append

>>> li = ['a', 'b', 'c']
>>> li.extend(['d', 'e', 'f']) 
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f']
>>> len(li)                    
6
>>> li[-1]
'f'
>>> li = ['a', 'b', 'c']
>>> li.append(['d', 'e', 'f']) 
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'c', ['d', 'e', 'f']]
>>> len(li)                    
4
>>> li[-1]
['d', 'e', 'f']

Searching Lists

Example 3.12. Searching a List

>>> li
['a', 'b', 'new', 'mpilgrim', 'z', 'example', 'new', 'two', 'elements']
>>> li.index("example") 
5
>>> li.index("new")     
2

Removing Elements from a List

>>> li
['a', 'b', 'new', 'mpilgrim', 'z', 'example', 'new', 'two', 'elements']
>>> li.remove("z")   
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'new', 'mpilgrim', 'example', 'new', 'two', 'elements']
>>> li.remove("new") 
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'mpilgrim', 'example', 'new', 'two', 'elements']

List Operators

>>> li = ['a', 'b', 'mpilgrim']
>>> li = li + ['example', 'new'] 
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'mpilgrim', 'example', 'new']
>>> li += ['two']                
>>> li
['a', 'b', 'mpilgrim', 'example', 'new', 'two']
>>> li = [1, 2] * 3              
>>> li
[1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2]

Tuples:

Defining a tuple

>>> t = ("a", "b", "mpilgrim", "z", "example") 
>>> t
('a', 'b', 'mpilgrim', 'z', 'example')
>>> t[0]                                       
'a'

Variables:

Assigning multiple values at once

>>> v = ('a', 'b', 'e')
>>> (x, y, z) = v     
>>> x
'a'
>>> y
'b'
>>> z
'e'

Assigning Consecutive Values
>>> range(7)                                                                    
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
>>> (MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY) = range(7) 
>>> MONDAY                                                                      
0

Strings:

Introducing String Formatting

>>> k = "uid"
>>> v = "sa"
>>> "%s=%s" % (k, v) 
'uid=sa'

String Formatting vs. Concatenating
>>> uid = "sa"
>>> pwd = "secret"
>>> print pwd + " is not a good password for " + uid      
secret is not a good password for sa
>>> print "%s is not a good password for %s" % (pwd, uid) 
secret is not a good password for sa

Formatting Numbers

>>> print "Today's stock price: %f" % 50.4625   
50.462500
>>> print "Today's stock price: %.2f" % 50.4625 
50.46
>>> print "Change since yesterday: %+.2f" % 1.5 
+1.50

	The %f string formatting option treats the value as a decimal, and prints it to six decimal places.
	The ".2" modifier of the %f option truncates the value to two decimal places.
	You can even combine modifiers. Adding the + modifier displays a plus or minus sign before the value. Note that the ".2" modifier is still in place, and is padding the value to exactly two decimal places.

Mapping Lists:

Introducing List Comprehensions

>>> li = [1, 9, 8, 4]
>>> [elem*2 for elem in li]      
[2, 18, 16, 8]
>>> li                           
[1, 9, 8, 4]
>>> li = [elem*2 for elem in li] 
>>> li
[2, 18, 16, 8]

The keys, values, and items Functions
>>> params = {"server":"mpilgrim", "database":"master", "uid":"sa", "pwd":"secret"}
>>> params.keys()   
['server', 'uid', 'database', 'pwd']
>>> params.values() 
['mpilgrim', 'sa', 'master', 'secret']
>>> params.items()  
[('server', 'mpilgrim'), ('uid', 'sa'), ('database', 'master'), ('pwd', 'secret')]

List Comprehensions in buildConnectionString, Step by Step

>>> params = {"server":"mpilgrim", "database":"master", "uid":"sa", "pwd":"secret"}
>>> params.items()
[('server', 'mpilgrim'), ('uid', 'sa'), ('database', 'master'), ('pwd', 'secret')]
>>> [k for k, v in params.items()]                
['server', 'uid', 'database', 'pwd']
>>> [v for k, v in params.items()]                
['mpilgrim', 'sa', 'master', 'secret']
>>> ["%s=%s" % (k, v) for k, v in params.items()] 
['server=mpilgrim', 'uid=sa', 'database=master', 'pwd=secret']

Joining Lists and Splitting Strings