Python Unpacking: {**input} Explained

What does {**input} do in Python?

How can we use the ** syntax to unpack dictionaries in Python?

Answer:

The {**input} syntax in Python is used to unpack a dictionary into a new dictionary. When applied, it copies all the key-value pairs from the original dictionary into the new one, creating a shallow replica of the original.

In Python, when we have a dictionary called 'input' with various key-value pairs, we can use the syntax {**input} to unpack its contents into a new dictionary. This means that the new dictionary will contain all the same key-value pairs as the original 'input' dictionary.

For example, if we have a dictionary 'input' with the following contents:

input = {'a': 1, 'b': 2, 'c': 3}

By using {**input}, we can create a new dictionary 'output' with the same key-value pairs:

output = {**input}

Even though 'input' and 'output' contain the same key-value pairs, they are actually separate objects in memory. This means that modifications made to 'input' will not affect 'output', and vice versa.

The {**input} syntax can also be used outside of a function to combine key-value pairs from multiple dictionaries into a new dictionary. It is commonly used to unpack dictionaries into keyword parameters in function calls, simplifying the process of passing multiple arguments.