Improve Your Python With:
🐍 Python Tricks 💌
Get a short & sweet Python Trick delivered to your inbox every couple of days:
🐍 Python Tricks 💌
Get a short & sweet Python Trick delivered to your inbox every couple of days. No spam ever. Unsubscribe any time. Curated by the Real Python team.


Q: What’s a Python Trick?
A short Python code snippet meant as a teaching tool. A Python Trick either teaches an aspect of Python with a simple illustration, or serves as a motivating example to dig deeper and develop an intuitive understanding.
Here are a few examples of the kinds of tricks you’ll receive:
# How to merge two dictionaries# in Python 3.5+:>>>x={'a':1,'b':2}>>>y={'b':3,'c':4}>>>z={**x,**y}>>>z{'c':4,'a':1,'b':3}# In Python 2.x you could use this:>>>z=dict(x,**y)>>>z{'a':1,'c':4,'b':3}# Why Python Is Great:# Function argument unpackingdefmyfunc(x,y,z):print(x,y,z)tuple_vec=(1,0,1)dict_vec={'x':1,'y':0,'z':1}>>>myfunc(*tuple_vec)1,0,1>>>myfunc(**dict_vec)1,0,1# The lambda keyword in Python provides a# shortcut for declaring small and# anonymous functions:>>>add=lambdax,y:x+y>>>add(5,3)8# You could declare the same add()# function with the def keyword:>>>defadd(x,y):...returnx+y>>>add(5,3)8# So what's the big fuss about?# Lambdas are *function expressions*:>>>(lambdax,y:x+y)(5,3)8# → Lambda functions are single-expression# functions that are not necessarily bound# to a name (they can be anonymous).# → Lambda functions can't use regular# Python statements and always include an# implicit `return` statement.Improve Your Python Skills, Bit by Bit:
🐍 Python Tricks 💌
Get a short & sweet Python Trick delivered to your inbox every couple of days. No spam ever. Unsubscribe any time. Curated by the Real Python team.

What Python Devs Are Saying:
The PyTricks newsletter by @realpython is a fantastic example of how newsletter should look like. Short, clear and straight to the point!
— Oras Al-Kubaisi (@orask) May 30, 2018
Dare I say, that looks Pythonic to me. https://t.co/qEajq6GNl8
— Talk Python Podcast (@TalkPython) March 9, 2017
Recommended! https://t.co/Mc0dX7gJjn
— Carlos Abdalla (@carlosabdalla) March 11, 2017love the work you’ve done, are doing, and continue to do!
— Kenneth ☤ Reitz, Creator of the Requests library
“Python Tricks” curated by Dan Bader and the Real Python team.
