The Python zip function accepts zero or more iterables and returns an iterator tuple. In this section, we discuss how to use the Python zip function to combine iterable items with example.
The basic syntax of the Python zip function is as shown below:
zip(*iterables)
In this Python zip function, the iterables can be list, tuple, string, etc., or you can also use the user-defined iterator. The following set of examples helps you understand the Python zip function.
Simple Python zip Object Example
It is a simple example to demonstrate the zip function. This example zips or combines the items in list1 and list2.
# Python zip Example list1 = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'] zip_result = zip(list1, list2) print(zip_result)
OUTPUT
If you look at the above screenshot, it printed the zip object. So, to display the zipped result, you have to use either the for loop or any iterable.
Python zip For loop Example
This Python example is the same as the above example. However, this time we are using for loop to iterate the zip result, and displays the output. I suggest you refer to the Python List article.
list1 = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'] zip_result = zip(list1, list2) for x, y in zip_result: print(x, y)
OUTPUT
zip Multiple lists Example
In this example, we are using Python zip function to zip three list values.
list1 = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'] list3 = ['Sunday', 'Monday', 'Tuesday', 'Thursday', 'Friday'] zip_result = zip(list1, list2, list3) for x, y, z in zip_result: print(x, y, z)
OUTPUT
It is the same as the above zip list items example. However, we changed the for loop a little bit. Now you can see the actual values in tuple format.
list1 = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'] list3 = ['Sunday', 'Monday', 'Tuesday', 'Thursday', 'Friday'] zip_result = zip(list1, list2, list3) for val in zip_result: print(val)
OUTPUT
zip tuple Example
Until now, we used the zip function on the list iterator. In this example, we are using Python zip on tuples.
tuple1 = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
tuple2 = ('a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e')
tuple3 = ('Sunday', 'Monday', 'Tuesday', 'Thursday', 'Friday')
zip_result = zip(tuple1, tuple2, tuple3)
for val in zip_result:
print(val)
OUTPUT
Python zip list and tuple Example
You can also use this zip function on the combination of different iterators. In this zip example, we used it on two lists and one tuple.
list1 = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
tuple1 = ('Sunday', 'Monday', 'Tuesday', 'Thursday', 'Friday')
zip_result = zip(list1, list2, tuple1)
for val in zip_result:
print(val)
OUTPUT
Python zip uneven items Example
Until now, we used the same number of items in a list or tuple or any iterable. Let me show you what happen if we use the different number of items in the zip iterable. For this, we used 4 items in list 2.
list1 = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']
tuple1 = ('Sunday', 'Monday', 'Tuesday', 'Thursday', 'Friday')
zip_result = zip(list1, list2, tuple1)
for val in zip_result:
print(val)
As you can see from the below zip screenshot, it has returned only 4 items from each iterable.
Convert Python zip to list
In all our previous examples, we are using for loop to display the items in a zip object. However, you can convert the zip object to any of the iterable. In this example, we are converting zip object to list using list() function.
list1 = [1, 2, 3, 4]
list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']
list3 = ['Sunday', 'Monday', 'Tues', 'Friday']
zip_result = zip(list1, list2, list3)
print(list(zip_result))
print('\nTo Zip directly inside a List')
print(list(zip(list1, list2, list3)))
OUTPUT
Convert Python zip to dictionary and set
In this example, we are converting the zip object to set and dictionary using the set() function and dict() function.
list1 = [1, 2, 3, 4]
list2 = ['Sunday', 'Monday', 'Tues', 'Friday']
zip_result = zip(list1, list2)
print(set(zip_result))
print('\nTo Zip directly inside a Set')
print(set(zip(list1, list2)))
print('\n*********Dictionary Example******')
result = zip(list1, list2)
print(dict(result))
print('\nTo Zip directly inside a List')
print(dict(zip(list1, list2)))
OUTPUT
Python zip in List Comprehension Example
This example shows how to use zip function inside a list comprehension.
list1 = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50] list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'] list3 = ['Sunday', 'Monday', 'Tuesday', 'Thursday', 'Friday'] [print(list1, list2, list3) for list1, list2, list3 in zip(list1, list2, list3)]
OUTPUT
It is another example of a zip function along with list comprehension. Here, we are displaying the tuple by combining the items in list1, list2, and list3.
list1 = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50] list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'] list3 = ['Sunday', 'Monday', 'Tuesday', 'Thursday', 'Friday'] [print(values) for values in zip(list1, list2, list3)]
OUTPUT
Python unzip example
In python, you can use this zip function to unzip the items in it.
In this example, first, we declared three list items. Next, we used the zip function to combine two list items and converted them as a list.
Next, x, y = zip(*list_result) statement assigns the first set of values to x and the second set of values to y. You can see the same in the successive print statements.
list1 = [10, 20, 30, 40]
list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']
list3 = ['Sunday', 'Monday', 'Thursday', 'Friday']
list_result = list(zip(list1, list3))
print(list_result)
x, y = zip(*list_result)
print('Values in x = ', x)
print('Values in y = ', y)
OUTPUT
Python unzip example 2
This time we were using three list items and performed the zip and unzip operations.
list1 = [10, 20, 30, 40]
list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']
list3 = ['Sunday', 'Monday', 'Thursday', 'Friday']
list_result = list(zip(list1, list2, list3))
print(list_result)
x, y, z = zip(*list_result)
print('Values in x = ', x)
print('Values in y = ', y)
print('Values in z = ', z)
OUTPUT
Python unzip example 3
In this example, instead of converting them to the list, we are using the zip result as the unzip source. It also works.
list1 = [10, 20, 30, 40]
list2 = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']
list3 = ['Sunday', 'Monday', 'Thursday', 'Friday']
result = zip(list1, list2, list3)
x, y, z = zip(*result)
print('Values in x = ', x)
print('Values in y = ', y)
print('Values in z = ', z)
OUTPUT
