Don’t Run Loops in Python, Instead, Use These!

No need to run loops in Python anymore

Pic Credits: Unsplash

Introduction

Loops are expensive(slow) in Python and if you are working with a large number of rows then it’s a crime. In this blog, I will take you through the theory and practical examples of the functions that you can use as an alternative to loops in python.

We will cover the following functions :

1. Map
2. Filter
3. Reduce

Even if you then you have heard about these functions there is no harm in refreshing these.

Before starting with the above functions, let’s have a quick look at the lambda function if you are not already familiar with it.

Lambda — Good to know

The Lambda function is an alternative to the regular functions. It can be defined in a single line of code and thus takes less time and space in our code. For example, in the below code, we can see the lambda function in action.

Regular Function

def multiply_by_2(x):
    x*2

Lambda function

lambda x: x*2

Note: It is a good practice to use the lambda function instead of a regular function.