How to use Dictionary Operations In Python

The most straightforward method involves adding a new key-value pair with the desired key name and deleting the old key.

Explanation

  1. Access and Remove: my_dict.pop('old_key') retrieves the value associated with 'old_key' and removes the key-value pair from the dictionary.
  2. Assign New Key: my_dict['new_key'] = ... creates a new key 'new_key' and assigns the value retrieved from 'old_key'.
Python
# Original dictionary
my_dict = {'old_key': 'value'}

# Rename 'old_key' to 'new_key'
my_dict['new_key'] = my_dict.pop('old_key')

print(my_dict)  # Output: {'new_key': 'value'}

Output

{'new_key': 'value'}

How to Change the name of a key in dictionary?

Dictionaries in Python are a versatile and powerful data structure, allowing you to store key-value pairs for efficient retrieval and manipulation. Sometimes, you might need to change the name of a key in a dictionary. While dictionaries do not directly support renaming keys, there are several ways to achieve this by creating a new key-value pair and deleting the old one. In this article, we will explore different methods to change the name of a key in a dictionary.

Similar Reads

Method 1: Using Dictionary Operations

The most straightforward method involves adding a new key-value pair with the desired key name and deleting the old key....

Method 2: Using Dictionary Comprehension

You can use dictionary comprehension to create a new dictionary with the desired key changes....

Method 3: Using the update() Method

You can use the update() method to add new key-value pairs and then remove the old key....

Method 4: Using a Custom Function

For more complex scenarios or to improve code readability, you can define a custom function to rename dictionary keys....

Handling Nested Dictionaries

If you need to rename a key in a nested dictionary, you can use recursive functions....

Conclusion

Changing the name of a key in a dictionary is a common task in Python programming. Whether you choose to use simple dictionary operations, dictionary comprehensions, the update() method, custom functions, or recursive functions for nested dictionaries, Python provides flexible ways to achieve this. By understanding these methods, you can efficiently manage and manipulate your dictionaries to suit your application needs....

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