Python Cheat Sheet - Keywords

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Keyword Description Code example

False​, ​True Data values from the data type Boolean False​ == (​1 ​> ​2​), ​True​ == (​2 ​> ​1​)

and​, ​or​, ​not Logical operators: x, y = ​True​, ​False

(x ​and​ y)​ → both x and y must be True (x ​or​ y) == ​True​ ​# True
(x ​or​ y)​ → either x or y must be True (x ​and​ y) == ​False​ ​# True
(​not​ x)​ → x must be false (​not​ y) == ​True​ ​# True

break Ends loop prematurely while​(​True​):

​break​ ​# no infinite loop
print(​"hello world"​)

c​ontinue Finishes current loop iteration while​(​True​):

​continue
print(​"43"​) ​# dead code

class Defines a new class → a real-world concept class​ ​Beer​:

(object oriented programming) ​def​ ​__init__​(self)​:
self.content = ​1.0
def Defines a new function or class method. For latter, ​def​ ​drink​(self)​:
first parameter (“self”) points to the class object. self.content = ​0.0
When calling class method, first parameter is implicit.
becks = Beer() ​# constructor - create class
becks.drink() ​# beer empty: b.content == 0

if​, ​elif​, ​else Conditional program execution: program starts with x = int(input(​"your value: "​))
“if” branch, tries the “elif” branches, and finishes with if​ x > ​3​: print(​"Big"​)
“else” branch (until one branch evaluates to True). elif​ x == ​3​: print(​"Medium"​)
else​: print(​"Small"​)

for​, ​while # For loop declaration # While loop - same semantics

for​ i ​in​ [​0​,​1​,​2​]: j = ​0
print(i) while​ j < ​3​:
print(j)
j = j + ​1

in Checks whether element is in sequence 42​ ​in​ [​2​, ​39​, ​42​] ​# True

is Checks whether both elements point to the same y = x = 3

object x​ ​is​ ​y​ ​# True
[​3​] ​is​ [​3​] ​# False

None Empty value constant def​ ​f​()​:

x = ​2
f() ​is​ ​None​ ​# True

lambda Function with no name (anonymous function) (lambda​ x: x + ​3)(3)​ ​# returns 6

return Terminates execution of the function and passes the def​ ​incrementor​(x)​:
flow of execution to the caller. An optional value after ​return​ x + ​1
the return keyword specifies the function result. incrementor(​4​) ​# returns 5
 Python Cheat Sheet - Basic Data Types
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Description Example

Boolean The Boolean data type is a truth value, either ## 1. Boolean Operations
​ alse​.
True​ ​or F x, y = ​True​, ​False
print(x ​and​ ​not​ y) ​# True
The Boolean operators ordered by priority: print(​not​ x ​and​ y ​or​ x) ​# True
not​ x​ ​ → “if x is False, then x, else y”
x ​and​ y​ → “if x is False, then x, else y” ## 2. If condition evaluates to False
x ​or​ y​ ​ → “if x is False, then y, else x” if​ ​None​ ​or​ ​0​ ​or​ ​0.0​ ​or​ ​''​ ​or​ [] ​or​ {} ​or​ set():
​# None, 0, 0.0, empty strings, or empty
These comparison operators evaluate to ​True​: ​# container types are evaluated to False
1​ < ​2​ ​and​ ​0​ <= ​1​ ​and ​3​ > ​2​ ​and​ ​2​ >=​2​ ​and
print(​"Dead code"​) ​# Not reached
1​ == ​1​ ​and​ ​1​ != ​0​ ​# True

Integer, An integer is a positive or negative number ## 3. Arithmetic Operations

Float without floating point (e.g. 3​ ​). A float is a x, y = ​3​, ​2
positive or negative number with floating point print(x + y) ​# = 5
precision (e.g.​ ​3.14159265359​). print(x - y) ​# = 1
print(x * y) ​# = 6
The ‘​//​’ operator performs integer division. print(x / y) ​# = 1.5
The result is an integer value that is rounded print(x // y) ​# = 1
towards the smaller integer number print(x % y) ​# = 1s
(e.g. 3​ // ​2​ == ​1​). print(-x) ​# = -3
print(abs(-x)) ​# = 3
print(int(​3.9​)) ​# = 3
print(float(​3​)) ​# = 3.0
print(x ** y) ​# = 9

String Python Strings are sequences of characters. ## 4. Indexing and Slicing

s = ​"The youngest pope was 11 years old"
The four main ways to create strings are the print(s[​0​]) ​# 'T'
following. print(s[​1​:​3​]) ​# 'he'
print(s[​-3​:​-1​]) ​# 'ol'
1. Single quotes print(s[​-3​:]) ​# 'old'
'Yes'
x = s.split() ​# creates string array of words
2. Double quotes print(x[​-3​] + ​" "​ + x[​-1​] + ​" "​ + x[​2] + ​"s"​)
"Yes"
# '11 old popes'
3. Triple quotes (multi-line)
"""Yes
## 5. Most Important String Methods
We Can"""
y = ​" This is lazy\t\n "
4. String method
print(y.strip()) ​# Remove Whitespace: 'This is lazy'
str(​5​) == ​'5'​ ​# True
print(​"DrDre"​.lower()) ​# Lowercase: 'drdre'
5. Concatenation
print(​"attention"​.upper()) ​# Uppercase: 'ATTENTION'
"Ma"​ + ​"hatma"​ ​# 'Mahatma'
print(​"smartphone"​.startswith(​"smart")) ​# True
print(​"smartphone"​.endswith(​"phone"​)) ​# True
print(​"another"​.find(​"other"​)) ​# Match index: 2
These are whitespace characters in strings.
print(​"cheat"​.replace(​"ch"​, ​"m"​)) ​# 'meat'
● Newline \n print(​','​.join([​"F"​, ​"B"​, ​"I"​])) ​# 'F,B,I'
● Space ​ s
\
print(len(​"Rumpelstiltskin"​)) ​# String length: 15
● Tab ​ t
\ print(​"ear"​ ​in​ ​"earth"​) ​# Contains: True
 Python Cheat Sheet - Complex Data Types
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Description Example

List A container data type that stores a l = [​1​, ​2​, ​2​]

sequence of elements. Unlike strings, lists print(len(l)) ​# 3
are mutable: modification possible.

Adding Add elements to a list with (i) append, (ii) [​1​, ​2​, ​2​].append(​4​) ​# [1, 2, 2, 4]
elements insert, or (iii) list concatenation. [​1​, ​2​, ​4​].insert(​2​,​2​) ​# [1, 2, 2, 4]
The append operation is very fast. [​1​, ​2​, ​2​] + [​4​] # [1, 2, 2, 4]

Removal Removing an element can be slower. [​1​, ​2​, ​2​, ​4​].remove(​1​) ​# [2, 2, 4]

Reversing This reverses the order of list elements. [​1​, ​2​, ​3​].reverse() ​# [3, 2, 1]

Sorting Sorts a list. The computational complexity [​2​, ​4​, ​2​].sort() ​# [2, 2, 4]
of sorting is O(n log n) for n list elements.

Indexing Finds the first occurence of an element in [​2​, ​2​, ​4​].index(​2​) ​# index of element 4 is "0"
the list & returns its index. Can be slow as [​2​, ​2​, ​4​].index(​2​,​1​) ​# index of element 2 after pos 1 is "1"
the whole list is traversed.

Stack Python lists can be used intuitively as stack stack = [3]

via the two list operations append() and stack.append(​42​) ​# [3, 42]
pop(). stack.pop() ​# 42 (stack: [3])
stack.pop() ​# 3 (stack: []​)

Set A set is an unordered collection of basket = {​'apple'​, ​'eggs'​, ​'banana'​, ​'orange'​}

elements. Each can exist only once. same = set([​'apple'​, ​'eggs'​, ​'banana'​, ​'orange']​)

Dictionary The dictionary is a useful data structure for calories = {​'apple'​ : ​52​, ​'banana'​ : ​89​, ​'choco'​ : ​546​}
storing (key, value) pairs.

Reading and Read and write elements by specifying the print(calories[​'apple'​] < calories[​'choco'​]) ​# True
writing key within the brackets. Use the keys() and calories[​'cappu'​] = ​74
elements values() functions to access all keys and print(calories[​'banana'​] < calories[​'cappu'​]) ​# False
values of the dictionary. print(​'apple'​ ​in​ calories.keys()) ​# True
print(​52​ ​in​ calories.values()) ​# True

Dictionary You can loop over the (key, value) pairs of for k, v in calories.items():
Looping a dictionary with the items() method. print(k) if v > 500 else None​ ​# 'chocolate'

Membership Check with the ‘in’ keyword whether the basket = {​'apple'​, ​'eggs'​, ​'banana'​, ​'orange'​}
operator set, list, or dictionary contains an element. print(​'eggs'​ ​in​ basket} ​# True
Set containment is faster than list print(​'mushroom'​ ​in​ basket} ​# False
containment.

List and Set List comprehension is the concise Python # List comprehension
Comprehens way to create lists. Use brackets plus an l = [(​'Hi '​ + x) ​for​ x ​in​ [​'Alice'​, ​'Bob'​, ​'Pete'​]]
ion expression, followed by a for clause. Close print(l) # ['Hi Alice', 'Hi Bob', 'Hi Pete']
with zero or more for or if clauses. l2 = [x * y ​for​ x ​in​ range(​3​) ​for​ y ​in​ range(​3​) ​if​ x>y]
print(l2) ​# [0, 0, 2]
Set comprehension is similar to list # Set comprehension
comprehension. squares = { x**​2​ ​for​ x ​in​ [​0​,​2​,​4​] ​if​ x < ​4​ } ​# {0, 4}
 Python Cheat Sheet - Classes
“​A puzzle a day to learn, code, and play​” → Visit f​ inxter.com

Description Example

Classes A class encapsulates data and functionality - data as class​ ​Dog​:

attributes, and functionality as methods. It is a blueprint """ Blueprint of a dog """
to create concrete instances in the memory.
# class variable shared by all instances
species = [​"canis lupus"​]

def​ ​__init__​(self, name, color)​:

self.name = name
self.state = ​"sleeping"
self.color = color

def​ ​command​(self, x)​:

if​ x == self.name:
self.bark(​2​)
elif​ x == ​"sit"​:
Instance You are an instance of the class human. An instance is a self.state = ​"sit"
concrete implementation of a class: all attributes of an else​:
instance have a fixed value. Your hair is blond, brown, or self.state = ​"wag tail"
black - but never unspecified.
def​ ​bark​(self, freq)​:
Each instance has its own attributes independent of for​ i ​in​ range(freq):
other instances. Yet, class variables are different. These print(​"["​ + self.name
are data values associated with the class, not the + ​"]: Woof!"​)
instances. Hence, all instance share the same class
​ pecies ​in the example.
variable s
bello = Dog(​"bello"​, ​"black"​)
Self The first argument when defining any method is always alice = Dog(​"alice"​, ​"white"​)
​ elf ​argument. This argument specifies the
the s
print(bello.color) ​# black
instance on which you call the method.
print(alice.color) ​# white
self ​gives the Python interpreter the information about
the concrete instance. To ​define ​a method, you use s ​ elf bello.bark(​1​) ​# [bello]: Woof!
to modify the instance attributes. But to ​call ​an instance
method, you do not need to specify s ​ elf​. alice.command(​"sit"​)
print(​"[alice]: "​ + alice.state)
Creation You can create classes “on the fly” and use them as # [alice]: sit
logical units to store complex data types.
bello.command(​"no"​)
class​ ​Employee()​: print(​"[bello]: "​ + bello.state)
pass # [bello]: wag tail
employee = Employee()
employee.salary = ​122000 alice.command(​"alice"​)
employee.firstname = ​"alice" # [alice]: Woof!
employee.lastname = ​"wonderland" # [alice]: Woof!

print(employee.firstname + ​" " bello.species += [​"wulf"​]

+ employee.lastname + ​" " print(len(bello.species)
+ str(employee.salary) + ​"$"​) == len(alice.species)) ​# True (!)
# alice wonderland 122000$