How to use the "zip" function in Python?

Question

Jayant Kumar · Accepted Answer

In Python, the zip() function is a built-in function used to combine multiple iterables into a single iterable of tuples. It returns an iterator that yields tuples containing elements from each input iterable, paired together based on their positions.
The general syntax of the zip() function is as follows:
zip(*iterables)

iterables: Two or more iterables (e.g., lists, tuples, strings) that you want to zip together. You can pass the iterables directly as arguments or use the * operator to unpack an iterable of iterables.

Here's an example to demonstrate the usage of the zip() function:
numbers = [1, 2, 3]
letters = ['A', 'B', 'C']
zipped_iterator = zip(numbers, letters)

# Using a for loop to iterate over the zipped_iterator
for item in zipped_iterator:
    print(item)

# Output:
# (1, 'A')
# (2, 'B')
# (3, 'C')

In this example, the zip() function combines the elements from the numbers and letters lists, pairing them together based on their positions. The resulting iterator, zipped_iterator, yields tuples containing the corresponding elements from each iterable.
If the input iterables have different lengths, the resulting iterator will have a length equal to the shortest input iterable. Elements from the longer iterables beyond the length of the shortest iterable are ignored.
The zip() function is useful when you need to iterate over multiple iterables simultaneously and process their corresponding elements together. It allows you to align and combine data from different sources based on their positions.
You can also use the zip() function in conjunction with tuple unpacking to separate the zipped elements into individual variables:
numbers = [1, 2, 3]
letters = ['A', 'B', 'C']
zipped_iterator = zip(numbers, letters)

# Unpacking the zipped elements into separate variables
for num, letter in zipped_iterator:
    print(num, letter)

# Output:
# 1 A
# 2 B
# 3 C

In this example, each tuple from the zipped_iterator is unpacked into the variables num and letter, allowing you to work with the individual elements separately.
Note that the zip() function returns an iterator, which means it only produces results on-the-fly as you iterate over it. If you need to store the zipped elements in a list or another data structure, you can use the list() function to convert the iterator into a list.

How to use the "zip" function in Python?

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How to use the "zip" function in Python?

Jayant Kumar @jayantkumar314

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