🐍 10 Python Tricks That Can Instantly Improve Your Code

Here are 10 Python tips that can improve the logic and readability of your code — whether you're just starting out or already writing scripts. These are beginner-friendly, but even advanced developers might find something new.

Let’s dive in. 👇

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1. Use enumerate() Instead of Manual Indexing

When you need both the index and the value from a list, enumerate() is a cleaner alternative to using range(len(...)).

❌ Don’t do this:

for i in range(len(items)):
    print(i, items[i])

✅ Do this instead:

for i, item in enumerate(items):
    print(i, item)

It’s cleaner, easier to read, and avoids common indexing bugs.

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2. Use with open() to Handle Files Safely

Using with ensures that the file is properly closed, even if an error occurs.

❌ Don’t do this:

f = open("file.txt")
data = f.read()
f.close()

✅ Do this instead:

with open("file.txt") as f:
    data = f.read()

Much neater — and you don’t have to remember to call close().

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3. Write Compact List Comprehensions

List comprehensions let you create new lists in a single, readable line.

❌ Long version:

squares = []
for num in range(10):
    squares.append(num**2)

✅ Better version:

squares = [num**2 for num in range(10)]

It’s more compact, and in many cases, easier to understand at a glance.

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4. Use dict.get() to Avoid Key Errors

Want to retrieve a value from a dictionary, but avoid crashes if the key doesn't exist? Use .get() with a fallback value.

data = {"name": "John", "age": 37}

# Key exists
name = data.get("name", "Unknown")
print(name)  # Output: John

# Key does not exist
job = data.get("job", "Unknown")
print(job)   # Output: Unknown

This is much safer than directly accessing the key with data["job"].

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5. Unpack Multiple Values Easily

You can assign multiple variables in one line using unpacking.

name, age, job = "John", 37, "Coder"
print(name)  # Output: John
print(age)   # Output: 37
print(job)   # Output: Coder

This also works with functions that return multiple values:

def get_info():
    return "Alice", 29

name, age = get_info()
print(name)  # Output: Alice
print(age)   # Output: 29

Simple and elegant.