10 Python Tips Every Developer Should Know

1. Use List Comprehensions

List comprehensions are more concise and faster than traditional loops for creating lists.

numbers = [x * x for x in range(10) if x % 2 == 0]

2. Use Enumerate Instead of Range

Use enumerate() to get index and value while iterating over a list.

for index, value in enumerate(['a', 'b', 'c']):
    print(index, value)

3. Use F-Strings for String Formatting

F-strings (Python 3.6+) are cleaner and faster than % or format().

name = "Alice"
print(f"Hello, {name}!")

4. Use Defaultdict and Counter

collections.defaultdict and collections.Counter simplify many tasks.

from collections import defaultdict, Counter
words = ['apple', 'banana', 'apple']
count = Counter(words)
print(count)

5. Unpack Multiple Variables

Python allows tuple unpacking to swap variables or extract multiple values.

a, b = b, a

6. Use Context Managers

Use with to handle resources like files or database connections safely.

with open('file.txt') as f:
    data = f.read()

7. Use Generators for Large Data

Generators use yield to save memory when processing large datasets.

def gen_numbers():
    for i in range(1000000):
        yield i

8. Use Type Hints

Type hints improve code readability and help with IDE support and static analysis.

def add(a: int, b: int) -> int:
    return a + b

9. Avoid Mutable Default Arguments

Using mutable defaults like lists in function args can lead to bugs.

def append_to_list(val, my_list=None):
    if my_list is None:
        my_list = []
    my_list.append(val)
    return my_list

10. Use Virtual Environments

Always isolate project dependencies using venv or virtualenv.

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

Conclusion: Mastering these tips will help you write cleaner, faster, and more reliable Python code. Happy coding!