What is the difference between an iterable and an iterator?

What is the difference between an iterable and an iterator?

An iterable is an object that can return its elements one at a time, like a list or a string. An iterator, on the other hand, is an object that keeps track of its current position in the iterable and allows you to traverse it.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! A list like [1, 2, 3] is an iterable. You can create an iterator from it using iter(my_list), which allows you to access elements one by one using next().

So, can I convert an iterable to an iterator?

Yes, you can convert an iterable to an iterator using the iter() function. This gives you an iterator that you can use to traverse the iterable.

What happens if I try to use an iterator after it’s exhausted?

If you try to use an iterator after it’s exhausted, calling next() will raise a StopIteration exception, indicating that there are no more elements to retrieve.