Python | Exploring the syntax and usage of zip() to iterate over multiple sequences in parallel

zip()

Python is a popular programming language that comes with many built-in functions to make the coding process easier and more efficient. One such built-in function is the zip() function, which allows you to combine multiple lists or iterators into a single iterable object. In this article, we will take a closer look at the zip() function, how it works, and provide some examples of how it can be used in Python programming.

What is the zip() function in Python?

The zip() function is a built-in Python function that takes two or more lists, tuples, or any other iterable objects and returns an iterator that aggregates elements from each of the iterables as tuples. Each tuple contains the corresponding elements from each of the iterables passed to the function.

How does the zip() function work?

The zip() function works by taking two or more iterables as arguments and returning an iterator of tuples. The syntax for using the zip() function is as follows:

zip(*iterables)

Here, "iterables" is one or more iterable objects (such as lists, tuples, or sets) separated by commas. The asterisk (*) before "iterables" is used to unpack the iterables into separate arguments for the zip() function.

Here are some examples to illustrate how the zip() function works:

Using the zip() function with two lists:

list1 = [1, 2, 3]

list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c']

zipped = zip(list1, list2)

print(list(zipped))

In this example, we have two lists: list1 and list2. We use the zip() function to combine the two lists into a single iterable object called "zipped". We then convert this iterable object into a list using the list() function and print the result. The output of the above code will be:

[(1, 'a'), (2, 'b'), (3, 'c')]

The output is a list of tuples where each tuple contains the corresponding elements from list1 and list2.

Using the zip() function with three lists:

list1 = [1, 2, 3]

list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c']

list3 = [True, False, True]

zipped = zip(list1, list2, list3)

print(list(zipped))

In this example, we have three lists: list1, list2, and list3. We use the zip() function to combine the three lists into a single iterable object called "zipped". We then convert this iterable object into a list using the list() function and print the result. The output of the above code will be:

[(1, 'a', True), (2, 'b', False), (3, 'c', True)]

The output is a list of tuples where each tuple contains the corresponding elements from list1, list2, and list3.

Using the zip() function with different length lists:

list1 = [1, 2, 3]

list2 = ['a', 'b']

zipped = zip(list1, list2)

print(list(zipped))

In this example, we have two lists: list1 and list2. However, list2 is shorter than list1. We use the zip() function to combine the two lists into a single iterable object called "zipped". We then convert this iterable object into a list using the list() function and print the result. The output of the above code will be:

[(1, 'a'), (2, 'b')]

The output is a list of tuples where each tuple contains the corresponding