Python Tutorials

Overview

Items in a Python dictionary can be accessed by referring to its key name using several methods.

Using [] Brackets

car =	{
    "brand": "Maserati",
    "model": "Quattroporte",
    "year": 2025
}

x = car["model"]
print(x)

Output:

Quattroporte

get() Method

car =	{
    "brand": "Maserati",
    "model": "Quattroporte",
    "year": 2025
}

x = car.get("model")
print(x)

Output:

Quattroporte

keys() Method

The Python keys() method will return a list of all the keys in the dictionary.

car = {
    "brand": "Maserati",
    "model": "Quattroporte",
    "year": 2025
}

x = car.keys()
print(x)

Output:

dict_keys(['brand', 'model', 'year'])

values() Method

The Python values() method will return a list of all the values in the dictionary.

car = {
    "brand": "Maserati",
    "model": "Quattroporte",
    "year": 2025
}

x = car.values()
print(x)

Output:

dict_values(['Maserati', 'Quattroporte', 2025])

items() Method

The Python items() method will return each item in a dictionary, as tuples in a list.

car = {
    "brand": "Maserati",
    "model": "Quattroporte",
    "year": 2025
}

x = car.items()
print(x)

Output:

dict_items([('brand', 'Maserati'), ('model', 'Quattroporte'), ('year', 2025)])

Checking if a Key Exists

car = {
    "brand": "Maserati",
    "model": "Quattroporte",
    "year": 2025
}

if "model" in car:
    print("Yes, 'model' exists as a key.")

Python Notes:

  • The most recent major version of Python is Python 3; however, Python 2 is still in use and quite popular, although not being updated with anything other than security updates
  • Python uses new lines to complete a command, as opposed to other programming languages which often use semicolons or parentheses
  • Python relies on indentation, using whitespace to define scope, such as the scope of loops, functions, and classes; other programming languages often use curly-brackets for this purpose
  • Python string methods return new values, and DO NOT change the original string
  • Python tuples are unchangeable after created (their items CANNOT be changed or re-ordered at a later point)
  • Python sets are unordered (may appear in random orders when called), unchangeable (the value of individual items cannot be changed after creation), unindexed (items cannot be referred to by index or key), and duplicates are NOT ALLOWED
  • As of v3.7, Python dictionaries are ordered and duplicates ARE ALLOWED; in v3.6 and earlier, dictionaries were unordered (did not have a defined order and could not be referred to using an index)

We’d like to acknowledge that we learned a great deal of our coding from W3Schools and TutorialsPoint, borrowing heavily from their teaching process and excellent code examples. We highly recommend both sites to deepen your experience, and further your coding journey. We’re just hitting the basics here at 1SMARTchicken.