Master Python Sets: Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices

Learn the power of Python sets for managing unique items. Get tips, tricks, and practical examples to improve your coding efficiency

What is set in Python?

Set: A Python set is an unordered collection of unique elements.

_set = {"apple"}
_set = set()
_not_set = {}

Removing element:

fruits = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}
fruits.discard("banana")  # discard() will not raise an error.
fruits.remove("banana")   # Raises KeyError if "banana" is not in the set
print(fruits)             # Output: {'apple', 'cherry'}

Removing Duplicates from a List using a Set:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "apple", "banana", "cherry", "kiwi"]
unique_items = list(set(fruits))  # Output: ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "kiwi"]

Set operations:

0. Joining two sets:

set1 = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}
set2 = {1, 2, 3}
set1.update(set2)
print(set1)              # Output: {1, 2, 3, 'b', 'c', 'a'}

# Or
union_set = set1 | set2
print(union_set)         # Output: {1, 2, 3, 'b', 'c', 'a'}

1. Common elements between two sets: