What is the difference between an iterator and a generator in Python?

What is the difference between an iterator and a generator in Python?

In Python, an iterator is an object that implements the iterator protocol, consisting of the methods iter() and next(). A generator, on the other hand, is a special type of iterator that is defined using a function and uses the yield statement to produce values.

Can you give me an example of an iterator?

Sure! Here's a simple iterator example:

class MyIterator:
    def __init__(self, limit):
        self.limit = limit
        self.current = 0

    def __iter__(self):
        return self

    def __next__(self):
        if self.current < self.limit:
            self.current += 1
            return self.current - 1
        else:
            raise StopIteration

And how about a generator?

Here's an example of a generator function:

def my_generator(limit):
    current = 0
    while current < limit:
        yield current
        current += 1

What are the advantages of using generators over iterators?

Generators are more memory efficient because they yield items one at a time and only when required, rather than storing all items in memory at once. They also allow for cleaner and more readable code.