How Can I Sort a Python Dictionary by Key?

Sorting a Dictionary by Key

Organizing the elements of a dictionary by key allows for easier retrieval and manipulation of data. This can be particularly useful in scenarios where the order of the keys is crucial. While standard Python dictionaries do not preserve the order of their elements, there are techniques to achieve this.

OrderedDict Approach

For Python versions prior to 3.7, using an OrderedDict offers a straightforward solution. This data structure maintains the order of elements as they are added:

import collections

d = {2:3, 1:89, 4:5, 3:0}
od = collections.OrderedDict(sorted(d.items()))

The resulting OrderedDict (od) preserves the order of the sorted keys. It can be accessed like a regular dictionary, ensuring that the key-value pairs are processed in the sorted order.

Items() Iteration for Python 3 and Above

In Python versions 3.7 and later, the OrderedDict type was superseded by the use of the .items() method:

for k, v in od.items():
    print(k, v)

This iteration method also maintains the order of the keys, providing predictable and consistent access to the sorted data.

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