What are generics in Python and how do I use them?

What are generics in Python and how do I use them?

Generics in Python allow you to write flexible and reusable code by defining functions and classes that can operate on different data types. You can use the typing module to specify type parameters.

Can you give me an example of a generic function?

Sure! Here's a simple example of a generic function that returns the first element of a list:

from typing import TypeVar, List

T = TypeVar('T')

def get_first_element(elements: List[T]) -> T:
    return elements[0]

How do I create a generic class?

You can create a generic class in a similar way. Here's an example:

from typing import TypeVar, Generic

T = TypeVar('T')

class Box(Generic[T]):
    def __init__(self, item: T):
        self.item = item

    def get_item(self) -> T:
        return self.item

What are the benefits of using generics?

Generics improve code reusability, type safety, and readability. They allow you to write functions and classes that can work with any data type without sacrificing type checking.