What is a deque in Python and how do I use it?

What is a deque in Python and how do I use it?

A deque, or double-ended queue, is a data structure that allows you to add and remove elements from both ends efficiently.

Can you show me how to create a deque and add elements to it?

Sure! You can create a deque using the collections module. Here's an example:

from collections import deque
my_deque = deque()
my_deque.append(1)  # Add to the right
my_deque.appendleft(2)  # Add to the left
print(my_deque)  # Output: deque([2, 1])

How do I remove elements from a deque?

You can remove elements using pop() to remove from the right or popleft() to remove from the left. For example:

my_deque.pop()  # Removes 1
my_deque.popleft()  # Removes 2

What are some use cases for using a deque?

Deques are great for implementing queues, stacks, and for scenarios where you need fast appends and pops from both ends.