Python Collection Module
The Collection module is the built-in module in Python programming language which allows us to create various types of high-performance container objects including deque, namedtuple, Counter, OrderedDict, defaultdict and ChainMap to manage a group of related values.
Syntax
The syntax to import the Collection module is as follows:
import collections
Example
import collections
# Creating an empty deque
de = collections.deque()
# Adding elements to deque
de.append(1)
de.append(2)
de.append(3)
de.append(4)
print("Initial deque: ", de)
# Removing elements from deque
de.popleft()
de.pop()
print("\nDeque after removing elements: ", de)
Output
Initial deque: deque([1, 2, 3, 4])
Deque after removing elements: deque([2, 3])
Explanation
In the above example, we have imported the Collection module and created an empty deque using the deque
method. Then, we have added some elements to the deque using the append
method.
We have then removed the first and last elements from the deque using the popleft
and pop
methods respectively.
Use
The Collection module is mainly used for creating complex data structures and manipulating them efficiently. Some common use cases are:
- Storing and managing a large number of related values
- Implementing data structures like stacks, queues, and heaps
- Counting the frequency of items in a list or tuple
- Maintaining order while adding or removing items from a dict
Important Points
- The Collection module is a built-in module in Python, so it is available without installing any external packages.
- The module provides various container objects such as deque, namedtuple, Counter, OrderedDict, defaultdict and ChainMap.
- These container objects offer several advantages over the built-in data types, including improved performance and additional functionality.
- Each container object has its own set of methods and properties for manipulating the data it contains.
Summary
The Collection module is a powerful tool for managing complex data structures in Python. In this tutorial, we have learned how to import the module, create different types of container objects, and use them to manage data efficiently. We have also seen some common use cases and important points to keep in mind while working with the module.