What are some advanced features of the Python collections module?

What are some advanced features of the Python collections module?

The Python collections module offers several advanced data structures like namedtuple, deque, Counter, and defaultdict. Would you like to explore any specific one?

Can you explain how to use defaultdict?

Sure! A defaultdict is a subclass of the built-in dict class. It overrides one method to provide a default value for a nonexistent key. You can specify the default type when you create it. For example, defaultdict(int) will initialize missing keys with 0.

What about using Counter for counting elements?

Counter is a subclass of dict specifically designed for counting hashable objects. It can be used to count occurrences of items in an iterable, and it provides methods like most_common() to retrieve the most common elements.

Are there any performance benefits to using these collections?

Yes, using specialized collections like defaultdict and Counter can lead to more efficient code, especially in terms of memory usage and speed, compared to using standard dictionaries.