How do I use the heapq module in Python?

How do I use the heapq module in Python?

The heapq module in Python provides an implementation of the heap queue algorithm, also known as the priority queue algorithm. You can use it to maintain a list in a heap order.

Can you show me a simple example of how to create a heap?

Sure! You can create a heap using the heapq.heapify() function. Here's a quick example:

import heapq

my_list = [5, 1, 3, 7]
heapq.heapify(my_list)
print(my_list)  # Output will be a heapified list

How do I add elements to the heap?

You can add elements to the heap using the heapq.heappush() function. For example:

heapq.heappush(my_list, 2)
print(my_list)  # The new element will be added while maintaining the heap property

What about removing the smallest element?

To remove the smallest element, you can use heapq.heappop(). Here's how:

smallest = heapq.heappop(my_list)
print(smallest)  # This will print the smallest element