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Python: Any use case for popitem()?

If popitem removes an arbitrary (key, value) pair from a (non-ordered) dictionary, what is it used for? Could anyone provide an example for practical application?

21st Mar 2020, 8:50 AM
Prof. Dr. ZoltĂĄn Vass
2 Answers
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'arbitrary' isn't true anymore since 3.7. 'Remove and return a (key, value) pair from the dictionary. Pairs are returned in LIFO order. popitem() is useful to destructively iterate over a dictionary, as often used in set algorithms. If the dictionary is empty, calling popitem() raises a KeyError. Changed in version 3.7: LIFO order is now guaranteed. In prior versions, popitem() would return an arbitrary key/value pair.' https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#mapping-types-dict
21st Mar 2020, 9:14 AM
HonFu
HonFu - avatar
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HonFu Thanks! Is it also true for a non-ordered dictionary?
21st Mar 2020, 9:50 AM
Prof. Dr. ZoltĂĄn Vass