In Python, a set is a collection data type that stores unordered, unique elements. It is useful when you need to eliminate duplicate values, perform mathematical set operations (like unions, intersections, etc.), or manage a collection of unique items efficiently.
Creating a Set
Creating a set in Python can be done using curly braces {} or the set() function. Sets are useful for storing unique, unordered elements.
1. Using Curly Braces {}
You can create a set directly by placing items inside curly braces:
# Creating a set with curly braces
data_set = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
print(data_set) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
2. Using the set() Function
You can also create a set using the set() function, especially helpful when creating a set from other iterables like lists, tuples, or strings.
# Creating a set from a list
data_set = set([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10])
print(data_set) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
# Creating a set from a string (breaks it into unique characters)
char_set = set("python")
print(char_set) # Output: {'p', 'y', 't', 'h', 'o', 'n'}
Note: To create an empty set, you must use set() because {} initializes an empty dictionary.