How can you store and execute functions in Python using dictionaries and lists?

Storing and Firing Functions in Python

To avoid unwieldy def statements and facilitate the management of multiple functions, we explore a method to store functions in data structures, enabling their execution when indexed or keyed.

Using a Dictionary for Function Dispatch

Functions are first-class objects in Python, allowing them to be stored and dispatched using dictionaries. Consider the following example:

<code class="python">dispatcher = {'foo': foo, 'bar': bar}</code>

In this dictionary, foo and bar are function objects, not callable instances (e.g., foo() or bar()). To invoke foo, use:

<code class="python">dispatcher['foo']()</code>

Storing Multiple Functions in a List

If you want to execute multiple functions grouped in a list, a possible approach is:

<code class="python">dispatcher = {'foobar': [foo, bar], 'bazcat': [baz, cat]}

def fire_all(func_list):
    for f in func_list:
        f()

fire_all(dispatcher['foobar'])</code>

In this case, the key 'foobar' maps to a list of functions. The fire_all function iterates over the list and executes each function.

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