Python list of dictionaries search

Question

Assume I have this:

[
{\"name\": \"Tom\", \"age\": 10},
{\"name\": \"Mark\", \"age\": 5},
{\"name\": \"Pam\", \"age\": 7}
]

and by searchin

Answer 1

Here is a comparison using iterating throuhg list, using filter+lambda or refactoring(if needed or valid to your case) your code to dict of dicts rather than list of dicts

import time

# Build list of dicts
list_of_dicts = list()
for i in range(100000):
    list_of_dicts.append({'id': i, 'name': 'Tom'})

# Build dict of dicts
dict_of_dicts = dict()
for i in range(100000):
    dict_of_dicts[i] = {'name': 'Tom'}


# Find the one with ID of 99

# 1. iterate through the list
lod_ts = time.time()
for elem in list_of_dicts:
    if elem['id'] == 99999:
        break
lod_tf = time.time()
lod_td = lod_tf - lod_ts

# 2. Use filter
f_ts = time.time()
x = filter(lambda k: k['id'] == 99999, list_of_dicts)
f_tf = time.time()
f_td = f_tf- f_ts

# 3. find it in dict of dicts
dod_ts = time.time()
x = dict_of_dicts[99999]
dod_tf = time.time()
dod_td = dod_tf - dod_ts


print 'List of Dictionries took: %s' % lod_td
print 'Using filter took: %s' % f_td
print 'Dict of Dicts took: %s' % dod_td

And the output is this:

List of Dictionries took: 0.0099310874939
Using filter took: 0.0121960639954
Dict of Dicts took: 4.05311584473e-06

Conclusion: Clearly having a dictionary of dicts is the most efficient way to be able to search in those cases, where you know say you will be searching by id's only. interestingly using filter is the slowest solution.

Answer 2

I found this thread when I was searching for an answer to the same question. While I realize that it's a late answer, I thought I'd contribute it in case it's useful to anyone else:

def find_dict_in_list(dicts, default=None, **kwargs):
    """Find first matching :obj:`dict` in :obj:`list`.

    :param list dicts: List of dictionaries.
    :param dict default: Optional. Default dictionary to return.
        Defaults to `None`.
    :param **kwargs: `key=value` pairs to match in :obj:`dict`.

    :returns: First matching :obj:`dict` from `dicts`.
    :rtype: dict

    """

    rval = default
    for d in dicts:
        is_found = False

        # Search for keys in dict.
        for k, v in kwargs.items():
            if d.get(k, None) == v:
                is_found = True

            else:
                is_found = False
                break

        if is_found:
            rval = d
            break

    return rval


if __name__ == '__main__':
    # Tests
    dicts = []
    keys = 'spam eggs shrubbery knight'.split()

    start = 0
    for _ in range(4):
        dct = {k: v for k, v in zip(keys, range(start, start+4))}
        dicts.append(dct)
        start += 4

    # Find each dict based on 'spam' key only.  
    for x in range(len(dicts)):
        spam = x*4
        assert find_dict_in_list(dicts, spam=spam) == dicts[x]

    # Find each dict based on 'spam' and 'shrubbery' keys.
    for x in range(len(dicts)):
        spam = x*4
        assert find_dict_in_list(dicts, spam=spam, shrubbery=spam+2) == dicts[x]

    # Search for one correct key, one incorrect key:
    for x in range(len(dicts)):
        spam = x*4
        assert find_dict_in_list(dicts, spam=spam, shrubbery=spam+1) is None

    # Search for non-existent dict.
    for x in range(len(dicts)):
        spam = x+100
        assert find_dict_in_list(dicts, spam=spam) is None

Answer 3

people = [
{'name': "Tom", 'age': 10},
{'name': "Mark", 'age': 5},
{'name': "Pam", 'age': 7}
]

def search(name):
    for p in people:
        if p['name'] == name:
            return p

search("Pam")