Copies the dictionary shallowly
Usage
The copy() method returns the Shallow copy of the specified dictionary.
Syntax
dictionary.copy()
Example
D = {'name': 'Bob', 'age': 25}
X = D.copy()
print(X)
# Prints {'age': 25, 'name': 'Bob'}copy() vs Assignment statement
Assignment statement does not copy objects. For example,
old_Dict = {'name': 'Bob', 'age': 25}
new_Dict = old_Dict
new_Dict['name'] = 'xx'
print(old_Dict)
# Prints {'age': 25, 'name': 'xx'}
print(new_Dict)
# Prints {'age': 25, 'name': 'xx'}When you execute new_Dict = old_Dict, you don’t actually have two dictionaries. The assignment just makes the two variables point to the one dictionary in memory.
So, when you change new_Dict, old_Dict is also modified. If you want to change one copy without changing the other, use copy()method.
old_Dict = {'name': 'Bob', 'age': 25}
new_Dict = old_Dict.copy()
new_Dict['name'] = 'xx'
print(old_Dict)
# Prints {'age': 25, 'name': 'Bob'}
print(new_Dict)
# Prints {'age': 25, 'name': 'xx'}Equivalent Method
You can copy dictionary using dictionary comprehension as well.
D = {'name': 'Bob', 'age': 25}
X = {k:v for k,v in D.items()}
print(X)
# Prints {'age': 25, 'name': 'Bob'}