?? Boost Your Python Skills: Merging Dictionaries Simplified! ??

Hey LinkedIn Family! ??

Have you ever wondered how to merge two dictionaries in Python efficiently? Let's explore some cool methods to do this, both with and without creating new variables. ?????? Plus, we'll peek under the hood to understand what's happening!

1. Using the update() Method ??

• In-place modification:

dict1 = {"a": 1, "b": 2}

dict2 = {"b": 3, "c": 4}

dict1.update(dict2)

print(dict1)  # Output: {'a': 1, 'b': 3, 'c': 4}        

• Under the Hood: The update() method modifies dict1 in place. It iterates over dict2, adding or updating key-value pairs in dict1. This means dict1 retains its identity but gets new content from dict2.
• With new variable:

dict1 = {"a": 1, "b": 2}

dict2 = {"b": 3, "c": 4}

merged_dict = dict1.copy()

merged_dict.update(dict2)

print(merged_dict)  # Output: {'a': 1, 'b': 3, 'c': 4}        

• Under the Hood: We first create a shallow copy of dict1, then apply update() to the copy. This keeps the original dict1 intact and creates a merged dictionary in merged_dict.
• ?? Time Complexity: O(len(dict2))
• ?? Space Complexity: O(1) for in-place, O(len(dict1) + len(dict2)) for new variable

2. Using the ** Operator (Python 3.5+) ?

• Always creates a new variable:

dict1 = {"a": 1, "b": 2}

dict2 = {"b": 3, "c": 4}

merged_dict = {**dict1, **dict2}

print(merged_dict)  # Output: {'a': 1, 'b': 3, 'c': 4}        

• Under the Hood: The ** operator unpacks the contents of dict1 and dict2 into a new dictionary. If there are overlapping keys, the value from dict2 overwrites the value from dict1.
• ?? Time Complexity: O(len(dict1) + len(dict2))
• ?? Space Complexity: O(len(dict1) + len(dict2))

3. Using the | Operator (Python 3.9+) ??

• Always creates a new variable:

dict1 = {"a": 1, "b": 2}

dict2 = {"b": 3, "c": 4}

merged_dict = dict1 | dict2

print(merged_dict)  # Output: {'a': 1, 'b': 3, 'c': 4}        

• Under the Hood: The | operator merges dictionaries by creating a new dictionary. It combines the keys and values, giving precedence to the second dictionary (dict2) for overlapping keys.
• ?? Time Complexity: O(len(dict1) + len(dict2))
• ?? Space Complexity: O(len(dict1) + len(dict2))

4. Using Dictionary Comprehension ??

• Always creates a new variable:

dict1 = {"a": 1, "b": 2}

dict2 = {"b": 3, "c": 4}

merged_dict = {k: v for d in [dict1, dict2] for k, v in d.items()}

print(merged_dict)  # Output: {'a': 1, 'b': 3, 'c': 4}        

• Under the Hood: This method iterates over both dictionaries sequentially, creating a new dictionary with all key-value pairs. For overlapping keys, the value from the second dictionary (dict2) will overwrite the first (dict1).
• ?? Time Complexity: O(len(dict1) + len(dict2))
• ?? Space Complexity: O(len(dict1) + len(dict2))

Summary ??

• In-place modification: update() method is efficient when modifying the original dictionary.
• New dictionary creation: ** operator, | operator, and dictionary comprehension are perfect for creating new, merged dictionaries.

Which method do you find the most useful? Let me know in the comments! ????

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