How to Switch Between Two Values in Python

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In this article, we’ll show you how to switch between two values in Python.

Sometimes, we need to switch between two values, such as switching between True and False in a Boolean variable or switching between two strings in a list of strings. Python provides a variety of methods for doing this, and we’ll introduce a few common ones below.

Method 1: Using an if-else Statement

The simplest method is to use an if-else statement to switch between two values. We can check the current value of a variable and then set the new value.

def toggle_value(value):
if value == "ON":
value = "OFF"
else:
value = "ON"
return value

status = "ON"
print(status) # Output: ON

status = toggle_value(status)
print(status) # Output: OFF

status = toggle_value(status)
print(status) # Output: ON

In the above example, we implement the toggle function by defining a toggle_value function. If the current value is “ON”, it switches to “OFF”; if it is “OFF”, it switches to “ON”. We can call this function multiple times to toggle the value.

Method 2: Using a Dictionary

Another common method is to use a dictionary. We can define a dictionary with two values as keys and values, and then switch between them by getting the value corresponding to the key.

status_dict = {"ON": "OFF", "OFF": "ON"}

status = "ON"
print(status) # Output: ON

status = status_dict[status]
print(status) # Output: OFF

status = status_dict[status]
print(status) # Output: ON

In the above example, we define a dictionary status_dict with “ON” and “OFF” as keys and values. By getting the value corresponding to the current value in status_dict, we can switch between them.

Method 3: Using a Ternary Expression

Python also provides a concise way to switch between two values: using a ternary expression.

status = "ON"
print(status) # Output: ON

status = "OFF" if status == "ON" else "ON"
print(status) # Output: OFF

status = "OFF" if status == "ON" else "ON"
print(status) # Output: ON

In the example above, the syntax of the ternary expression is x if condition else y, which means that if the condition is met, x is returned, otherwise y is returned. We can use a ternary expression to switch between values based on the current state.

Method 4: Using Bitwise Operators

If we need to switch between two integer values, we can use bitwise operators.

status = 1
print(status) # Output: 1

status = status ^ 1
print(status) # Output: 0

status = status ^ 1
print(status) # Output: 1

In the above example, we used the exclusive OR operator ^ to implement switching. The characteristic of the exclusive OR operation is that when two binary bits are different, the result is 1; when the two binary bits are the same, the result is 0. We can use multiple exclusive OR operations to switch between 0 and 1.

Summary

Through this article, we learned several methods for switching between two values in Python. You can choose the appropriate method to implement switching functionality based on your actual needs. Using if-else statements can achieve simple switching; using dictionaries can achieve more complex switching; using ternary expressions can achieve concise switching; and using bitwise operators can achieve switching between integer values. I hope this article helps you understand how to switch values in Python.