16. Multiple Assignment

16.1. Multiple Assignment in Tuple, list, strings

Assign multiple variables at the same time time using commas.

The code below assigns 3 variables in one line resulting in: a = 1, b = 2, c = 3.

This can also be written as tuples: (a, b, c) = (1, 2, 3)

a, b, c = 1, 2, 3
print(a, b, c)

This works with tuples fully written.

(a, b, c) = (4, 5, 6)
print(a, b, c)

This works with lists.

[a, b, c] = [7, 8, 9]
print(a, b, c)

This works with strings.

a, b, c = "xyz"
print(a, b, c)

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16.2. Packing with * in multiple assignment

In the code below, a is assigned 1 and b is assigned 2, and c is assigned the rest of the values packed as a list.

Note that in the print output, c is a list.

a, b, *c = 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
print(a, b, c)

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16.3. Swapping variable values

In the code below, a is assigned 7 and b is assigned 8.

a, b = b, a swaps those values so a is 8 and b is 7.

a, b = 7, 8
a, b = b, a
print(a, b)