What is the use of the "union" function in Python?
Table of Contents
Introduction
The union() function in Python is used to combine two or more sets, returning a new set that contains all unique elements from the sets involved. This function is part of Python's built-in set operations and is useful for merging data while ensuring no duplicates. In this article, we'll explore how the union() function works and its practical applications.
Syntax of union()
The union() function can take one or more sets as arguments and returns a new set containing all the unique elements from the original sets.
The method returns a new set and does not modify the original sets. You can also use the | operator, which functions the same way as union().
Example of Basic Set Union
# Creating two sets set1 = {1, 2, 3} set2 = {3, 4, 5} # Using the union() method result = set1.union(set2) print(result) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} # Using the | operator result = set1 | set2 print(result) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
In this example, the union of set1 and set2 results in a set that contains all unique elements from both sets, excluding duplicates.
Practical Use Cases of union()
Merging Multiple Sets
You can use the union() method to combine more than two sets, which is especially useful when working with larger data collections.
In this case, the union() function merges three sets and removes any duplicate elements, returning a set with unique values.
Example: Merging Data from Multiple Sources
Consider a scenario where you are merging customer data from different sources, and you need to ensure there are no duplicate entries.
In this example, union() helps combine customer names from different sources into one set, automatically removing duplicates.
Conclusion
The union() function in Python is a powerful tool for combining multiple sets while ensuring uniqueness. Whether you're merging small sets or dealing with large datasets, union() simplifies the process and ensures that duplicate values are eliminated. This function is a key part of Python’s set operations, making it an essential tool for efficient data manipulation.