What is the difference between an iterable and an iterator in Python?

What is the difference between an iterable and an iterator in Python?

In Python, an iterable is an object that can return its elements one at a time, like lists or tuples. An iterator, on the other hand, is an object that implements the iterator protocol, which consists of the methods iter() and next().

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! A list is an iterable. You can create an iterator from it using the iter() function. For example: my_list = [1, 2, 3] and my_iter = iter(my_list).

How do I use the iterator to get values?

You can use the next() function to get values from the iterator. For example, next(my_iter) will return 1, and calling it again will return 2.

What happens when I reach the end of the iterator?

When you reach the end of the iterator, calling next() will raise a StopIteration exception, indicating there are no more items to return.