A set in python is a collection of unique and unordered items. Mathematical set operations like union, intersection, and difference can be carried out on sets. Set helps us to remove duplicates and filtering out undesirable data form large datasets. In this post, we will examine the fundamentals of sets in Python as well as their most typical methods and use cases.
To create a set in Python, we use curly brackets {} or the built-in set() function. Here is a diagram how to define a set.
Let’s see some methods to manipulate sets in python.
add(item): Adds an element to a set. If the element already exists in the set, it will not be added again.
social_media = {"Facebook", "Tiktok", "Instagram"}
social_media.add("Linkedin")
print(social_media) # foutput=====> {"Facebook", "Tiktok", "Instagram", "Linkedin"}remove(item): Removes an element from a set. If the element does not exist in the set, it will raise a KeyError.
social_media = {"Facebook", "Tiktok", "Instagram","Linkedin"}
social_media.remove("Linkedin")
print(social_media) # output ====> {"Facebook", "Tiktok", "Instagram"}intersection(set): Returns a new set with elements that exist in both sets.
social_media = {"Facebook", "Tiktok"}
more_social_media = {"Instagram", "Linkedin","Facebook"}
all_social_media = social_media.intersection(more_social_media)
print(all_social_media) # output ====> {"Facebook"}
union(set): Returns a set resulting from combining A and B (duplicate data are removed)
social_media = {"Tiktok","Linkedin","Facebook"}
more_social_media = {"Instagram", "Linkedin","Facebook"}
my_union = social_media.union(more_social_media)
print(my_union) # output ====> {"Tiktok","Linkedin","Facebook","Instagram"}
difference(set): Returns a new set with elements that exist in the first set but not in the second set.
social_media = {"Facebook", "Tiktok","Youtube"}
social_video = {"Titok", "Youtube"}
unique_social_media = social_media.difference(social_video)
print(unique_social_media) # output ====> {"Facebook"}
In shorts sets are a powerful data structure that can help us remove duplicates, filter data, and perform mathematical set operations. We can define a set using brackets or the set() function, and also we can manipulate them with set methods. Always consider that sets are unordered and do not allow duplicates. When working with large datasets, using sets can improve performance and streamline your code.
Thanks for reading this article. I hope you learn something new! 😊👨🏽💻
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