What are the differences between contextlib and the with statement in Python?

Can you explain the differences between contextlib and the with statement in Python?

Sure! The with statement is a context manager that simplifies exception handling by encapsulating common preparation and cleanup tasks. contextlib is a module that provides utilities for working with context managers, including creating your own.

So, can I use contextlib to create a custom context manager?

Yes, exactly! You can use contextlib to create custom context managers using the contextmanager decorator, which allows you to define setup and teardown code in a generator function.

What are some advantages of using contextlib?

Using contextlib can make your code cleaner and more readable, especially when you need to manage resources or handle exceptions in a consistent way.

Are there any performance differences between using contextlib and the with statement?

Generally, the performance difference is negligible. The choice between them should be based on readability and maintainability rather than performance.