Handling Missing Keys With the Python defaultdict Type

Christian Mondorf

The Python defaultdict type behaves almost exactly like a regular Python dictionary, but if you try to access or modify a missing key, then defaultdict will automatically create the key and generate a default value for it. This makes defaultdict a valuable option for handling missing keys in dictionaries.

In this course, you’ll learn:

  • How to use the Python defaultdict type for handling missing keys in a dictionary
  • When and why to use a Python defaultdict rather than a regular dict
  • How to use a defaultdict for grouping, counting, and accumulating operations

What’s Included:

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About Christian Mondorf

Christian is an avid Pythonista and video instructor at Real Python.

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