What is the difference between a decorator and a context manager in Python?

What is the difference between a decorator and a context manager in Python?

A decorator is a function that modifies the behavior of another function, while a context manager is used to manage resources, ensuring proper setup and teardown.

Can you give me an example of a decorator?

Sure! Here's a simple decorator that logs the execution time of a function:

import time

def timer(func):
    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
        start_time = time.time()
        result = func(*args, **kwargs)
        end_time = time.time()
        print(f"{func.__name__} executed in {end_time - start_time} seconds")
        return result
    return wrapper

And what about a context manager?

A context manager can be created using the with statement. Here's an example that opens a file:

with open('file.txt', 'r') as file:
    data = file.read()

This ensures the file is properly closed after its block is executed.

So, decorators are for modifying functions and context managers are for resource management?

Exactly! Decorators enhance or alter function behavior, while context managers handle resource allocation and cleanup.