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How Can I Resolve the \'RuntimeError: dictionary changed size during iteration\' Error When Removing Keys Based on Empty Values?

Linda Hamilton
Linda HamiltonOriginal
2024-11-03 10:21:29599browse

How Can I Resolve the

Workaround for "RuntimeError:dictionary changed size during iteration" Error

Consider a scenario where you encounter a "RuntimeError: dictionary changed size during iteration" when attempting to remove key-value pairs based on empty values from a dictionary of lists. The code below exemplifies the error:

<code class="python">d = {'a': [1], 'b': [1, 2], 'c': [], 'd':[]}
for i in d:
    if not d[i]:
        d.pop(i)</code>

The error stems from the rule that modifying a dictionary (adding or removing entries) during iteration over it leads to unexpected behavior. To circumvent this limitation and successfully resolve the issue, you can adopt the following approaches:

Using a copy of the keys

Python provides a neat trick to work around the iteration limitation:

<code class="python">for i in list(d):</code>

By creating a list of the keys, you essentially create a copy of the dictionary keys. This allows you to iterate over the copy while making changes to the dictionary itself.

Using .keys() method (Python 2.x only)

In Python 2.x, the .keys() method provided a similar functionality, effectively creating a copy of the keys:

<code class="python">for i in d.keys():</code>

However, it's important to note that in Python 3.x, .keys() returns a view object, and the workaround won't apply.

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