Mahmoud EL-kariouny

Posted on Feb 22, 2022 • Edited on Oct 11, 2022

Python sets methods explanation and visualization🐍🚀💡

#python #tutorial #programming #beginners

Python sets methods

add()

Adds an element to the set.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩"}
smileys.add("😇")

# output
{'😉', '🙂', '😀', '🤩', '😇'}

clear()

Removes all the elements from the set.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩"}
smileys.clear()

# output
set()

copy()

Returns a copy of the set.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩"}
x = smileys.copy()

# output
{'😀', '😉', '🙂', '🤩'}

difference()

Returns a set containing the difference between two or more sets.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩"}
emojis = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "😍", "🤩", "😇"}
x = emojis.difference(smileys)

# output
{'😍', '😇'}

difference_update()

Removes the items in this set that are also included in another, specified set.
The difference_update() method is different from the difference() method, because the difference() method returns a new set.
without the unwanted items, and the difference_update() method removes the unwanted items from the original set.

emojis = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "😍", "🤩", "😇"}
smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "🤩"}
emojis.difference_update(smileys)

# output
{'😉', '😇', '😍'}

discard()

Remove the specified item.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩"}
smileys.discard("😉")

# output
{'😀', '🙂', '🤩'}

intersection()

Returns a set, that is the intersection of two or more sets.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩"}
emojis = {"😉", "😍", "😇"}

x = smileys.intersection(emojis)

# output
{'😉'}

intersection_update()

method removes the items that is not present in both sets (or in all sets if the comparison is done between more than two sets).
The intersection_update() method is different from the intersection() method, because the intersection() method returns a new set.
without the unwanted items, and the intersection_update() method removes the unwanted items from the original set.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩", "😇"}
emojis = {"😉", "😍", "😇"}

smileys.difference_update(emojis)

# output
{'🤩', '🙂', '😀'}

isdisjoint()

Returns whether two sets have a intersection or not

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😇"}
emojis = {"😉", "😍", "🤩"}

x = smileys.isdisjoint(emojis)

# output
True

issubset()

method returns True if all items in the set exists in the specified set, otherwise it retuns False.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😇"}
emojis = {"😉", "😍", "🤩"}

x = smileys.issubset(emojis)

# output
False

pop()

Removes an element from the set.
Note: Because the set() is unordered we cannot ensure what element will be removed.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩", "😇"}
x = smileys.pop()

# output 1
🙂
# output 2
🤩
# output 3
😉

remove()

Removes the specified element.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩", "😇"}
smileys.remove("😉")

# output
{'😀', '🙂', '😇', '🤩'}

symmetric_difference()

method returns a set that contains all items from both set, but not the items that are present in both sets. -Meaning: The returned set contains a mix of items that are not present in both sets.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩", "😇"}
emojis = {"😉", "😍", "🤩"}

x = smileys.symmetric_difference(emojis)

# output
{'😇', '🙂', '😀', '😍'}

symmetric_difference_update()

method updates the original set by removing items that are present in both sets, and inserting the other items.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😉", "🤩", "😇"}
emojis = {"😉", "😍", "🤩", "😇"}

smileys.symmetric_difference_update(emojis)

# output
{'😍', '🙂', '😀'}

union()

method returns a set that contains all items from the original set, and all items from the specified set(s).
Note: It will remove the same element from the original set.

smileys = {"😀", "🙂", "😇", "😉"}
emojis = {"😉", "😍", "🤩", "😇"}

x = smileys.union(emojis)

# output
{'😇', '😉', '😀', '🙂', '😍', '🤩'}

update()

method updates the current set, by adding items from another set (or any other iterable).

smileys = {"😀", "🙂"}
emojis = {"😉", "😍", "🤩", "😇"}

smileys.update(emojis)

# output
{'😍', '🙂', '🤩', '😇', '😉', '😀'}

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