Problem scenario
You want to iterate through two lists and perform some operation. The lists are not equal length. You want to iterate through them in some type of step-by-step fashion despite their lack of equality. What should you do?

Solution
Use this as an example:

list_a = [1, 2, 3]
list_b = [”dog”, “cat”, “rat”, “chicken”]

i = 0
j = 0

while (i < …

Continue reading “How Do You Iterate Through Two Lists of Unequal Length in Python?”

Problem scenario
You want to test if a dictionary exists or not. You know its name if/when it exists. What do you do?

Solution

# Suggested usage: 1) run it is as it is.
# 2) uncomment out the dictionary_name1 definition stanza.
# Then run this program again.

#dictionary_name1 = “good_dict”

if ‘dictionary_name1’ in locals():
print(“IT IS IN LOCALS”)
else:
print(“IT IS NOT IN LOCALS”)

if ‘dictionary_name1’ in globals():
print(“IT IS IN GLOBALS”)
else:
print(“IT IS NOT IN GLOBALS”) …

Continue reading “How Do You Write Python Code to Test if a Dictionary Exists?”

Problem scenario
You have a multi-line variable in Python. You want to convert each line to be its own item in a list. How do you make a multi-line string variable to become a list with the same contents?

Solution
Use the .splitlines() method to manipulate the string in this way.

Here is an example:

list_of_input=”””a line here
another line there. …

Continue reading “Using Python How Do You Convert Each Line to Be an Item in a List?”

Problem scenario
In Python you try operations like these two:

5 ^ 6
9 ^ 10

Both return “3”. Why is this?

Solution
The exclusive or (aka XOR) symbol “^” “copies the bit if it is set in one operand but not both.” (Taken from https://www.tutorialspoint.com/python/python_basic_operators.htm)

Here are some integers with their binary representation one space away:

3 11

5 101
6 110

9 1001
10 1010

5 is represented as 101.

…

Continue reading “What Does the “^” Operator in Python Do?”