The Asterisk (*) operator - Advanced Python 19

# multiplication
result = 7 * 5
print(result)

# power operation
result = 2 ** 4
print(result)

35
16

# list
zeros = [0] * 10
onetwos = [1, 2] * 5
print(zeros)
print(onetwos)

# tuple
zeros = (0,) * 10
onetwos = (1, 2) * 5
print(zeros)
print(onetwos)

# string
A_string = "A" * 10
AB_string = "AB" * 5
print(A_string)
print(AB_string)

[0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
[1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2]
(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)
(1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2)
AAAAAAAAAA
ABABABABAB

def my_function(*args, **kwargs):
    for arg in args:
        print(arg)
    for key in kwargs:
        print(key, kwargs[key])

my_function("Hey", 3, [0, 1, 2], name="Alex", age=8)

# Parameters after '*' or '*identifier' are keyword-only parameters and may only be passed using keyword arguments.
def my_function2(name, *, age):
    print(name)
    print(age)

# my_function2("Michael", 5) --> this would raise a TypeError
my_function2("Michael", age=5)

Hey
3
[0, 1, 2]
name Alex
age 8
Michael
5

def foo(a, b, c):
    print(a, b, c)

# length must match
my_list = [1, 2, 3]
foo(*my_list)

my_string = "ABC"
foo(*my_string)

# length and keys must match
my_dict = {'a': 4, 'b': 5, 'c': 6}
foo(**my_dict)

1 2 3
A B C
4 5 6

numbers = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

*beginning, last = numbers
print(beginning)
print(last)

print()

first, *end = numbers
print(first)
print(end)

print()
first, *middle, last = numbers
print(first)
print(middle)
print(last)

[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
8

1
[2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

1
[2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
8

# dump iterables into a list and merge them
my_tuple = (1, 2, 3)
my_set = {4, 5, 6}
my_list = [*my_tuple, *my_set]
print(my_list)

# merge two dictionaries with dict unpacking
dict_a = {'one': 1, 'two': 2}
dict_b = {'three': 3, 'four': 4}
dict_c = {**dict_a, **dict_b}
print(dict_c)

[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
{'one': 1, 'two': 2, 'three': 3, 'four': 4}

dict_a = {'one': 1, 'two': 2}
dict_b = {3: 3, 'four': 4}
dict_c = dict(dict_a, **dict_b)
print(dict_c)

# this works:
# dict_c = {**dict_a, **dict_b}

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TypeError                                 Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-52-2660fb90a60f> in <module>
      1 dict_a = {'one': 1, 'two': 2}
      2 dict_b = {3: 3, 'four': 4}
----> 3 dict_c = dict(dict_a, **dict_b)
      4 print(dict_c)
      5 
TypeError: keywords must be strings