10.4 Conditionals and looping in dictionaries

3 min readjune 24, 2024

Dictionaries Python offer powerful tools data manipulation. Conditional checks and looping techniques allow you to search, filter, and process contents efficiently. These methods are essential for working with complex data structures in real-world programming scenarios.

Advanced operations take your skills further. Dictionary comprehensions and enable you to create and modify dictionaries based on specific conditions. These techniques streamline your code and enhance your ability to work with structured data.

Conditionals and Looping in Dictionaries

Conditional checks in dictionaries

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  • Check a key exists in a dictionary using the
    in
    keyword
    • Evaluates to
      [True](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:TRUE)
      if the key is found,
      [False](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:FALSE)
      otherwise
    • Example:
      if 'name' in student_info:
  • Check if a value exists in a dictionary by iterating through the
    [values()](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:values())
    view
    • values()
      returns a view object containing all the values in the dictionary
    • Iterate through the view to find a specific value
    • Example:
      if 'John' in student_info.values():
  • Use the
    [get()](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:get())
    method to retrieve the value associated with a key, providing a default value if the key is not found
    • Syntax:
      dictionary.get(key, default_value)
    • Returns the value if the key exists, otherwise returns the default value
    • Example:
      age = student_info.get('age', 18)
  • Use for concise key-value checks
    • Example:
      result = 'Adult' if age >= 18 else 'Minor'

Iteration through dictionary components

  • Iterate through dictionary keys using a
    for
    loop
    • By default, iterating over a dictionary yields its keys
    • Access the corresponding value using the key within the loop
    • Example:
      for name in phone_book:
          print(name, phone_book[name])
      
  • Iterate through dictionary values using the
    values()
    method
    • values()
      returns a view object containing all the values in the dictionary
    • Useful when only the values are needed, not the keys
    • Example:
      for phone_number in phone_book.values():
          print(phone_number)
      
  • Iterate through dictionary using the
    [items()](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:items())
    method
    • items()
      returns a view object containing tuples of key-value pairs
    • Unpack the tuple in the
      for
      loop to access both the key and value
    • Example:
      for name, phone_number in phone_book.items():
          print(name, phone_number)
      
  • Use to process
    • Example:
      for department, employees in company.items():
          for employee, details in employees.items():
              print(f"{employee} works in {department}")
      

Application of dictionary methods

  • Use the
    [keys()](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:keys())
    method to get a view of all keys in the dictionary
    • Useful for checking the existence of keys or iterating through them
    • Example:
      if 'address' in student_info.keys():
  • Use the
    values()
    method to get a view of all values in the dictionary
    • Useful for checking the existence of values or iterating through them
    • Example:
      for grade in student_grades.values():
          if grade >= 90:
              print("A")
      
  • Use the
    items()
    method to get a view of all key-value pairs as tuples
    • Useful for iterating through both keys and values simultaneously
    • Example:
      for item, price in store_inventory.items():
          if price > 100:
              print(item, "is expensive")
      
  • Combine dictionary methods with conditional statements
    • Check for specific keys or values while iterating through a dictionary
    • Example:
      for name, score in exam_scores.items():
          if score < 60:
              print(name, "failed the exam")
      

Advanced dictionary operations

  • Use for creating dictionaries based on conditions
    • Example:
      squared_numbers = {x: x**2 for x in range(10) if x % 2 == 0}
  • Apply boolean operators in dictionary operations
    • Example:
      valid_entries = {k: v for k, v in data.items() if v is not None and v != ''}
  • Utilize conditional expressions in dictionary comprehensions
    • Example:
      grade_status = {name: 'Pass' if score >= 60 else 'Fail' for name, score in exam_scores.items()}

Key Terms to Review (19)

Boolean Operators: Boolean operators are logical operators used to combine or modify the truth values of two or more expressions in programming. They are fundamental for creating conditional statements and controlling the flow of execution in code.
Conditional Expressions: Conditional expressions, also known as ternary operators, are a concise way of writing simple if-else statements in programming languages like Python. They allow you to evaluate an expression and return one of two possible values based on whether the condition is true or false.
Data science life cycle: The data science life cycle is a series of iterative steps used to analyze and interpret complex data. It typically includes stages like data collection, cleaning, exploration, modeling, and interpretation.
Dictionary: A dictionary in Python is a collection of key-value pairs where each key is unique. It allows for efficient data retrieval based on the keys.
Dictionary: A dictionary in Python is an unordered collection of key-value pairs, where each key is unique and is associated with a corresponding value. Dictionaries provide a flexible and efficient way to store and retrieve data, making them a fundamental data structure in the language.
Dictionary comprehension: Dictionary comprehension is a concise way to create dictionaries in Python using a single line of code, allowing for the transformation and filtering of data in a readable manner. This technique combines looping and conditionals into one expression, making it efficient and clean, especially when generating dictionaries from existing iterable data like lists or other dictionaries.
FALSE: False is a Boolean value that represents a condition or statement that is not true. It is one of the two possible Boolean values, the other being True. The term False is fundamental to understanding various programming concepts, such as Boolean values, if-else statements, Boolean operations, and conditionals and looping in dictionaries.
For: The 'for' keyword in programming is used to create loops that iterate over a sequence, such as a list or a string. This allows you to execute a block of code multiple times, making it easier to work with collections of data. The 'for' loop can simplify tasks like processing items in a list, executing repetitive calculations, or transforming data through iterations, which can enhance code efficiency and readability.
Get(): The get() method is a fundamental operation in Python that allows you to retrieve the value associated with a specific key in a dictionary. It provides a convenient way to access and extract data from a dictionary, making it a crucial tool in working with dictionaries, which are widely used data structures in Python.
If: The term 'if' is a conditional statement used in programming to make decisions based on specific conditions. It allows the program to execute different actions or blocks of code depending on whether a given condition is true or false.
In: The term 'in' is a preposition that is used to indicate location, time, or inclusion within a specific context. It is a fundamental part of the English language and plays a crucial role in various programming concepts, including string manipulation, list operations, dictionary usage, and control flow structures.
Items(): The items() method in Python dictionaries returns a view object that displays a list of dictionary's (key, value) tuple pairs. It provides a way to iterate over both the keys and values of a dictionary simultaneously, making it a useful tool for working with dictionaries.
Iteration: Iteration is the process of repeating a set of instructions or operations multiple times in a computer program or algorithm. It is a fundamental concept in programming that allows for the execution of a block of code repeatedly until a specific condition is met.
Key-Value Pairs: Key-value pairs are the fundamental building blocks of dictionaries in Python. They consist of a unique key, which acts as an identifier, and an associated value that represents the data stored under that key.
Keys(): The keys() method in Python dictionaries returns a view object containing all the keys present in the dictionary. This view object can be used to iterate over the keys or convert them into a list, set, or other data structure as needed.
Nested dictionaries: A nested dictionary is a dictionary within another dictionary. It allows for hierarchical data structures where values can themselves be dictionaries.
Nested Dictionaries: Nested dictionaries, also known as dictionaries within dictionaries, are a data structure in Python where the values of a dictionary can be other dictionaries. This allows for the creation of complex, hierarchical data structures that can represent more intricate relationships and information.
TRUE: TRUE is a Boolean value that represents one of the two possible states in logic and programming, the other being FALSE. It is crucial in decision-making processes and controls the flow of operations, allowing programs to evaluate conditions and execute specific actions based on those evaluations.
Values(): The values() method in Python is a built-in dictionary method that returns a view object containing all the values in the dictionary. This method allows you to access and manipulate the values stored in a dictionary, which is a key-value data structure used to store and organize data in a non-sequential manner.
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