# Python Dictionaries and Tuples.(Week 8) This week, I continued my Python programming journey at Blockfuse Labs with a focus on Dictionaries and Tuples, two essential data structures that are widely used in software development for data storage and retrieval. ## Python Dictionaries A dictionary in Python is a collection of key-value pairs, where each key is unique and is used to store and retrieve data efficiently. Unlike lists, which use indexes, dictionaries use keys to access values. Features of a Dictionary. Mutable (can be changed after creation) Dictionaries are Unordered (Python 3.7+ maintains insertion order). Keys must be unique and immutable (strings, numbers, tuples). ``` Example 1: Creating and Accessing a Dictionary # Creating a dictionary of student scores student_scores = { "Alice": 85, "Bob": 72, "Charlie": 90 } # Accessing value print(student_scores["Alice"]) # Output: 85 # Adding a new entry student_scores["David"] = 78 # Updating an existing entry student_scores["Bob"] = 80 # Iterating through dictionary for name, score in student_scores.items(): print(f"{name}: {score}") Output: 85 Alice: 85 Bob: 80 Charlie: 90 David: 78 ``` ## Understanding Python Tuples A tuple is similar to a list but it is immutable, meaning its contents cannot be modified after creation. Tuples are ideal for storing fixed data that should not change. ### Tuples Features: ``` Immutable (cannot add, remove, or change items). Ordered collection. Allows duplicate values. Example 1: Creating and Using Tuples # Creating a tuple of coordinates coordinates = (12.4, 8.9) # Accessing tuple elements print(coordinates[0]) # Output: 12.4 # Tuple unpacking x, y = coordinates print(f"x: {x}, y: {y}") Output: 12.4 x: 12.4, y: 8.9 ``` This week's focus on dictionaries and tuples has strengthened my understanding of data organization and retrieval in Python, preparing me for more complex data structures and problem-solving techniques in future lessons. Thank you as usual for stopping by to read my progress. See again soon.