What are the best practices for using collections in Python?

What are the best practices for using collections in Python?

When using collections in Python, it's important to choose the right type for your data. For example, use lists for ordered data, sets for unique items, and dictionaries for key-value pairs.

Can you explain when to use a set instead of a list?

Certainly! Use a set when you need to store unique items and don't care about the order. Sets are also faster for membership tests.

What about performance? Are there any performance considerations?

Yes, performance can vary. Lists have O(n) time complexity for membership tests, while sets have O(1). So, for large datasets, prefer sets for faster lookups.

Are there any built-in functions that can help with collections?

Absolutely! Functions like len(), sum(), and sorted() can be very useful. Additionally, the collections module provides specialized container datatypes.