10 Python Tricks Every Developer Should Know

10 Python Tricks Every Developer Should Know

Python is known for its simplicity and readability, but there's always something new to learn—even for seasoned developers. In this post, we’ll uncover 10 Python tricks that can make your code shorter, smarter, and more efficient.

1. Swapping Variables Without a Temp Variable

a, b = 5, 10
a, b = b, a

Why it’s cool: Python allows tuple unpacking, so you don’t need a third variable to swap values.

2. List Comprehensions for Quick List Operations

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

Why it’s cool: More concise and often faster than traditional loops.

3. Using _ as a Throwaway Variable

for _ in range(5):
    print("Hello!")

Why it’s cool: The underscore signals that the loop variable isn’t used.

4. Chaining Comparisons

x = 5
if 1 < x < 10:
    print("x is between 1 and 10")

Why it’s cool: Cleaner syntax compared to combining with and.

5. Dictionary Comprehensions

squares = {x: x**2 for x in range(5)}

Why it’s cool: Build dictionaries in one line.

6. Unpacking Multiple Values

a, *b, c = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print(a, b, c)  # Output: 1 [2, 3, 4] 5

Why it’s cool: The * operator helps capture multiple values during unpacking.

7. The else Clause in Loops

for i in range(5):
    if i == 7:
        break
else:
    print("Loop completed without break")

Why it’s cool: The else part only runs if the loop didn’t hit a break.

8. Using enumerate() for Indexing in Loops

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
for index, fruit in enumerate(fruits):
    print(index, fruit)

Why it’s cool: Cleaner than using a separate counter variable.

9. Merging Dictionaries (Python 3.9+)

dict1 = {'a': 1}
dict2 = {'b': 2}
merged = dict1 | dict2

Why it’s cool: A modern, elegant way to merge dictionaries.

10. Use zip() to Loop Over Multiple Iterables

names = ['Alice', 'Bob', 'Charlie']
ages = [25, 30, 35]
for name, age in zip(names, ages):
    print(f"{name} is {age} years old.")

Why it’s cool: Synchronizes iteration across multiple sequences.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Python is not just about writing code that works—it's about writing code that's elegant, readable, and efficient. These tricks will not only make your code cleaner but also help you think more like a Pythonista.

Do you have your own favorite Python trick? Share it in the comments!