Last Updated : 16 Feb, 2024
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Updating dictionaries in Python is a common task in programming, and it can be accomplished using various approaches. In this article, we will explore different methods to update a dictionary using a for loop.
Update a Dictionary in Python Using For Loop in Python
Below are some of the approaches by which we can update a dictionary in Python by using a for loop:
- Using a Simple For Loop
- Using Dictionary Comprehension
- Using the
items()
Method - Using
zip()
andkeys()
Update a Dictionary Using a Simple For Loop
In this approach, we uses a for loop to iterate over the keys in the ‘update_dict’. For each key, we check if it already exists in the ‘target_dict’. If it does, we update its value; otherwise, we add a new key-value pair to the ‘target_dict’. This approach ensures that all key-value pairs from ‘update_dict’ are incorporated into ‘target_dict’.
Python3
# Sample dictionaries
target_dict
=
{
'a'
:
1
,
'b'
:
2
,
'c'
:
3
}
update_dict
=
{
'b'
:
5
,
'd'
:
7
}
# Updating using a for loop
for
key
in
update_dict:
if
key
in
target_dict:
target_dict[key]
=
update_dict[key]
else
:
target_dict[key]
=
update_dict[key]
print
(target_dict)
Output
{'a': 1, 'b': 5, 'c': 3, 'd': 7}
Update a Dictionary Using Dictionary Comprehension
This approach utilizes dictionary comprehension to create a new dictionary (‘updated_dict’). For each key in ‘target_dict’, it checks if the key exists in ‘update_dict’. If it does, the corresponding value from ‘update_dict’ is used; otherwise, the value from ‘target_dict’ is retained. This results in a dictionary containing all keys from ‘target_dict’ with updated values from ‘update_dict’.
Python3
# Sample dictionaries
target_dict
=
{
'a'
:
1
,
'b'
:
2
,
'c'
:
3
,
'd'
:
6
}
update_dict
=
{
'b'
:
5
,
'd'
:
7
}
# Updating using dictionary comprehension
updated_dict
=
{
key: update_dict[key]
if
key
in
update_dict
else
target_dict[key]
for
key
in
target_dict}
print
(updated_dict)
Output
{'a': 1, 'b': 5, 'c': 3, 'd': 7}
Update a Dictionary Using the items()
Method
In this approach, we use the ‘items()’ method to iterate over key-value pairs in ‘update_dict’. For each pair, we update the corresponding key in ‘target_dict’ with the new value. This method ensures that all key-value pairs from ‘update_dict’ are incorporated into ‘target_dict’.
Python3
# Sample dictionaries
target_dict
=
{
'a'
:
1
,
'b'
:
2
,
'c'
:
3
}
update_dict
=
{
'b'
:
5
,
'd'
:
7
}
# Updating using the items() method
for
key, value
in
update_dict.items():
target_dict[key]
=
value
print
(target_dict)
Output
{'a': 1, 'b': 5, 'c': 3, 'd': 7}
Update a Dictionary Using zip()
and keys()
In this approach, we use the zip() function to combine keys and values from ‘update_dict’. The for loop iterates over these pairs, updating the corresponding keys in ‘target_dict’ with the new values. This approach is concise and elegant for updating dictionaries with corresponding key-value pairs.
Python3
# Sample dictionaries
target_dict
=
{
'a'
:
1
,
'b'
:
2
,
'c'
:
3
}
update_dict
=
{
'b'
:
5
,
'd'
:
7
}
# Updating using zip() and keys()
for
key, value
in
zip
(update_dict.keys(), update_dict.values()):
target_dict[key]
=
value
print
(target_dict)
Output
{'a': 1, 'b': 5, 'c': 3, 'd': 7}
Conclusion
Updating dictionaries in Python is a versatile operation, Whether opting for a simple for loop, leveraging built-in methods like update()
, utilizing dictionary comprehension, or exploring iterations with items()
and zip()
, each method offers a reliable way to update dictionary contents.