What are the different types of data structures in Python?
There are several commonly used data structures in Python.
- List: An ordered and mutable collection of data that can store elements of any type, represented by square brackets [].
- Tuple: an ordered collection of immutable data, capable of storing elements of any type, represented by parentheses ().
- Dictionary: An unordered collection of key-value pairs that stores data in a one-to-one mapping relationship, represented by curly braces {}.
- Set: a collection of unordered and unique elements, represented by curly braces {}
- String: an ordered, immutable sequence of characters.
- Array: a fixed-size container used to store elements of the same type, requiring the import of the array module to use.
- Heap: A specialized tree data structure used for quickly finding the maximum or minimum value.
- Stack: a data structure that follows the last-in, first-out (LIFO) principle, commonly used for implementing recursive algorithms, expression evaluation, and more.
- Queue: a type of data structure that operates on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis, frequently utilized for implementing algorithms like breadth-first search and task scheduling.
There are corresponding built-in classes or modules in Python to support these data structures, and you can choose the suitable data structure according to specific needs for storing and manipulating data.