A Pythonic Approach to Underscore!

Python's underscore (_) is not just a character; it's a versatile tool that elevates the readability and elegance of your code when harnessed in a Pythonic way.

In this exciting exploration, we will explore one of the use cases of _(underscore) with a practical scenario.

Handling Excess Information: A Common Scenario

Have you ever found yourself drowning in more information than you need from a function? Python has a clever solution for that – it's called the underscore (_).

Consider a scenario where a function gives you both the average and the sum of a bunch of numbers:

def calculate_average_and_sum(numbers):
    count = len(numbers)
    total = sum(numbers)
    average = total / count
    return average, total        

But what if you only care about the average and want to ignore the sum? Traditionally, you might get the whole result and then ignore what you don't need:

result = calculate_average_and_sum([1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
average_result = result[0]  # Index 0 for average
# Forget about the sum; we don't need it here        

This works, but there's an easier way in Python.

When a function gives you more than you need, the underscore comes in handy.

Let's redo the previous example using the underscore:

average_result, _ = calculate_average_and_sum([1, 2, 3, 4, 5])        

In just one line, the underscore says we're not interested in the second value (the sum). It makes the code easier to read and shows others you only care about the average.

It's Easy Everywhere

Using the underscore as a placeholder isn't just for simple cases. Whether you're working with lists, tuples, or complex data, the underscore helps you focus on what you want. You can even ignore multiple values

firstName, *_, gender = ("Neha", "Patil", 123456789, "dwaraka", "female")        

The variables firstName and gender directly correspond to the first and last elements of the tuple, respectively.

However, an interesting feature of this unpacking is the use of the asterisk * followed by an underscore _. This syntax is used for extended unpacking in Python, where the asterisk gathers the remaining elements into a list, and the underscore indicates that those elements are not needed or not going to be used.

Consider the following.

a, *_, d,e = ("Neha","Patil",123456789,"dwaraka","female")

print(a, d,e)        

The variables a, d, and e directly correspond to the first, fourth, and fifth elements of the tuple, respectively.

• a: Receives the first element of the tuple, which is "Neha".
• * _: Gathers all the elements in the middle of the tuple into a list (denoted by the underscore _). In this case, it collects "Patil" and 123456789.
• d: Receives the fourth element of the tuple, which is "dwaraka".
• e: Receives the fifth element of the tuple, which is "female".

Then, the print statement outputs the values of a, d, and e:

The output will be:

Neha dwaraka female        

Final Thought

In Python, the underscore character (_) is a powerful tool used in various ways, and this is just the beginning. Stay tuned for upcoming editions where we'll explore more use cases and discover the full potential of the underscore in Python programming.

Happy Pythoning!