Python Set
🐍 Let's Get Set-ting in Python! 🎉
Sets in Python are like that exclusive club where no duplicates are allowed, everyone is unindexed, and things are delightfully unordered. In this guide, we’re going to laugh, learn, and become set-it-and-forget-it pros!
1. 🧠 What is a Set?
Imagine a magical bag that:
- Randomly stores unique, hashable items 🧙
- Doesn’t believe in order or indexing 🚫📦
- Is defined using curly braces
{}or theset()constructor
Example? Absolutely!
# Curly curly, quite swirly
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
# The more verbose cousin
nameSet = set(("alex", "brian", "charles"))
🔍 Under the hood, sets are powered by dictionaries (yeah, that nerdy kid with superpowers from next door).
⚠️ No mutables allowed – lists and dictionaries are bouncers-denied. But tuples and immutable sets? Come on in!
2. 👀 Getting Values from a Set
2.1. 🌀 Loop-de-loop with for
No indexes, no slices, just pure looping love:
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
for name in nameSet:
print(name)
📦 Output:
alex
brian
charles
2.2. 🕵️ Check Membership with in
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
print("brian" in nameSet)
print("david" in nameSet)
🔍 Output:
True
False
3. ➕ Adding Items Like a Pro
Need to add more people to your no-duplicate party?
add()→ adds one itemupdate()→ adds many
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet.add("david")
print(nameSet)
nameSet.update(["evan", "frank", "george"])
print(nameSet)
🎉 Output:
{'alex', 'charles', 'brian', 'david'}
{'brian', 'alex', 'david', 'frank', 'george', 'charles', 'evan'}
4. ➖ Removing Items Like a Ninja
Choose your weapon wisely
remove()– throws tantrum if item doesn’t exist ❌discard()– chill and quiet even if item is missing 😌pop()– removes and returns a surprise gift 🎁clear()– wipes the slate clean 🧽del– blows it into oblivion 💥
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles", "evan", "frank"}
nameSet.remove("frank")
print(nameSet)
nameSet.discard("evan")
print(nameSet)
name = nameSet.pop()
print(name)
print(nameSet)
nameSet.clear()
print(nameSet)
del nameSet
print(nameSet)
💣 Output:
{'evan', 'alex', 'charles', 'brian'}
{'alex', 'charles', 'brian'}
alex
{'charles', 'brian'}
set()
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<string>", line 17, in <module>
NameError: name 'nameSet' is not defined
5. 🫱 Set Union – Combining Superpowers
Want to merge two sets into a mega-set?
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"evan", "frank"}
setUnion = nameSet1.union(nameSet2)
print(setUnion)
🧬 Output:
{'charles', 'frank', 'alex', 'evan', 'brian'}
6. 🧰 Python Set Toolbox – Methods You Gotta Know
Let’s tour the Set theme park 🎢:
6.1. add() – Add a Friend
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet.add("david")
print(nameSet)
📦 Output: {'alex', 'brian', 'charles', 'david'}
6.2. clear() – Clean Slate
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet.clear()
print(nameSet)
🧽 Output: set()
6.3. copy() – Clone Wars
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
copySet = nameSet.copy()
print(copySet)
🪞 Output: {'alex', 'brian', 'charles'}
6.4. difference() – What’s Missing?
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "david"}
diffSet = nameSet1.difference(nameSet2)
print(diffSet)
❓ Output: {'charles'}
6.5. difference_update() – Get Rid of the Overlap
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "david"}
nameSet1.difference_update(nameSet2)
print(nameSet1)
🧹 Output: {'charles'}
6.6. discard() – Politely Say Goodbye
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet.discard("charles")
print(nameSet)
🚪 Output: {'alex', 'brian'}
6.7. intersection() – What Do We Have in Common?
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "david"}
diffSet = nameSet1.intersection(nameSet2)
print(diffSet)
🎯 Output: {'alex', 'brian'}
6.8. intersection_update() – Keep Only What’s Shared
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "david"}
nameSet1.intersection_update(nameSet2)
print(nameSet1)
🎛 Output: {'alex', 'brian'}
6.9. isdisjoint() – Are We Totally Different?
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "david"}
result = nameSet1.isdisjoint(nameSet2)
print(result)
🙅 Output: False
6.10. issubset() – Is This Set Part of the Cool Gang?
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
result = nameSet1.issubset(nameSet2)
print(result)
👨👦 Output: True
6.11. issuperset() – Am I the Boss Here?
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
result = nameSet1.issuperset(nameSet2)
print(result)
📉 Output: False
6.12. pop() – Surprise! You’re Gone
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
print(nameSet.pop())
print(nameSet)
🎁 Output:
alex
{'charles', 'brian'}
6.13. remove() – Bye, You
nameSet = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet.remove("alex")
print(nameSet)
🗑 Output: {'charles', 'brian'}
6.14. symmetric_difference() – What’s Not in Both?
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "david"}
result = nameSet1.symmetric_difference(nameSet2)
print(result)
🔄 Output: {'david', 'charles'}
6.15. symmetric_difference_update() – Forget the Common Stuff
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "david"}
nameSet1.symmetric_difference_update(nameSet2)
print(nameSet1)
🧠 Output: {'david', 'charles'}
6.16. union() – Combine Like Superheroes
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "david"}
result = nameSet1.union(nameSet2)
print(result)
🦸 Output: {'alex', 'brian', 'david', 'charles'}
6.17. update() – I’ll Take It All
nameSet1 = {"alex", "brian", "charles"}
nameSet2 = {"alex", "brian", "david"}
nameSet1.update(nameSet2)
print(nameSet1)
📈 Output: {'alex', 'brian', 'david', 'charles'}