How to copy a dictionary in Python

How to copy a dictionary in Python.

Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to copy a dictionary in Python:

To copy a dictionary in Python, you can use various methods depending on your specific requirements. Let's explore some of the commonly used approaches:

Using the copy() method:
- The copy() method is a built-in function that creates a shallow copy of the dictionary.
- It copies the dictionary's keys and values, but if the values themselves are mutable objects (like lists or dictionaries), the copies are references to the original objects.
- Here's an example:
```
original_dict = {"key1": "value1", "key2": "value2"}
copied_dict = original_dict.copy()
```
Using the dict() constructor:
- The dict() constructor can be used to create a new dictionary by passing an existing dictionary as an argument.
- It creates a shallow copy of the dictionary, similar to the copy() method.
- Here's an example:
```
original_dict = {"key1": "value1", "key2": "value2"}
copied_dict = dict(original_dict)
```
Using dictionary unpacking:
- Dictionary unpacking can be used to create a copy of an existing dictionary.
- It works by unpacking the key-value pairs of the original dictionary into a new dictionary.
- Here's an example:
```
original_dict = {"key1": "value1", "key2": "value2"}
copied_dict = {**original_dict}
```
Using the copy.deepcopy() function:
- The deepcopy() function from the copy module allows creating a deep copy of an object, including nested objects like dictionaries.
- It recursively copies all the objects within the dictionary, ensuring that any changes made to the copied dictionary do not affect the original dictionary.
- Here's an example:
```
import copy

original_dict = {"key": [1, 2, 3]}
copied_dict = copy.deepcopy(original_dict)
```

These are the main methods commonly used to copy dictionaries in Python. Choose the method that suits your needs best based on whether you require a shallow or deep copy of the dictionary.

Remember to import the copy module when using the deepcopy() function.

I hope this tutorial helps you understand how to copy dictionaries in Python!