When should I use the collections module in Python?

When should I use the collections module in Python?

The collections module in Python provides specialized container datatypes. You should use it when you need more advanced data structures than the built-in types.

What are some examples of these specialized data structures?

Some examples include Counter for counting hashable objects, defaultdict for providing default values, and namedtuple for creating tuple subclasses with named fields.

Can you explain how to use defaultdict?

Sure! A defaultdict is a subclass of the built-in dict. It overrides one method to provide a default value for a nonexistent key. You can initialize it with a function that returns the default value.

What about using Counter? How does it work?

Counter is a subclass of dict designed for counting hashable objects. You can pass an iterable to it, and it will return a dictionary-like object where keys are the elements and values are their counts.