Pythonic

The term Pythonic refers to an approach or style of writing code that aligns with Python’s philosophy and idioms. When you write Pythonic code, you’re adhering to the principles outlined in The Zen of Python, which is a collection of aphorisms that capture the essence of Python’s design.

Pythonic code is often characterized by its readability, simplicity, and elegance. It embraces the language’s strengths and makes use of its features effectively. Writing Pythonic code means using idiomatic expressions, such as comprehensions, using built-in functions, and following conventions like PEP 8 for style guidelines.

Examples of Pythonic practices include using meaningful variable names, avoiding unnecessary complexity, and choosing the right data structures or syntax construct. All these practices can make your code more Pythonic.

# Favor comprehensions
# Non-Pythonic
squares = []
for x in range(10):
    squares.append(x ** 2)

# Pythonic
squares = [x ** 2 for x in range(10)]

# Use zip()
# Non-Pythonic
names = ["Alice", "Bob"]
ages = [25, 30]
for i in range(len(names)):
    print(f"{names[i]} is {ages[i]} years old.")

# Pythonic
for name, age in zip(names, ages):
    print(f"{name} is {age} years old.")

# Use context manager
# Non-Pythonic
file = open("example.txt", "r")
try:
    data = file.read()
finally:
    file.close()

# Pythonic
with open("example.txt", "r") as file:
    data = file.read()

# Use iterable unpacking
# Non-Pythonic
data = (1, 2, 3)
a = data[0]
b = data[1]
c = data[2]

# Pythonic
a, b, c = (1, 2, 3)