# [set](https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#set) and [frozenset](https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#frozenset) {:.no_toc} ## Top Questions to [David Rotermund](mailto:davrot@uni-bremen.de) {: .topic-optional} This is an optional topic! # [Set Types — set, frozenset](https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#set-types-set-frozenset) > A set object is an unordered collection of distinct hashable objects. Common uses include membership testing, removing duplicates from a sequence, and computing mathematical operations such as intersection, union, difference, and symmetric difference. > > Like other collections, sets support x in set, len(set), and for x in set. Being an unordered collection, sets do not record element position or order of insertion. **Accordingly, sets do not support indexing, slicing, or other sequence-like behavior.** > > There are currently two built-in set types, set and frozenset. > * The **set type is mutable** — the contents can be changed using methods like add() and remove(). Since it is mutable, it has no hash value and cannot be used as either a dictionary key or as an element of another set. > * The **frozenset type is immutable and hashable** — its contents cannot be altered after it is created; it can therefore be used as a dictionary key or as an element of another set. ```python class set([iterable]) class frozenset([iterable]) ``` > Return a new set or frozenset object whose elements are taken from iterable. The elements of a set must be hashable. To represent sets of sets, the inner sets must be frozenset objects. If iterable is not specified, a new empty set is returned. > > Sets can be created by several means: > * Use a comma-separated list of elements within braces: {'jack', 'sjoerd'} > * Use a set comprehension: {c for c in 'abracadabra' if c not in 'abc'} > * Use the type constructor: set(), set('foobar'), set(['a', 'b', 'foo']) Instances of **set and frozenset** provide the following operations: ||| |---|---| |len(s)|Return the number of elements in set s (cardinality of s).| |x in s|Test x for membership in s.| |x not in s|Test x for non-membership in s.| |isdisjoint(other)|Return True if the set has no elements in common with other. Sets are disjoint if and only if their intersection is the empty set.| |issubset(other)|Test whether every element in the set is in other.| |set <= other|Test whether every element in the set is in other.| |set < other|Test whether the set is a proper subset of other, that is, set <= other and set != other.| |issuperset(other)|Test whether every element in other is in the set.| |set >= other|Test whether every element in other is in the set.| |set > other|Test whether the set is a proper superset of other, that is, set >= other and set != other.| |union(*others)|Return a new set with elements from the set and all others. | |set \| other \| ...|Return a new set with elements from the set and all others. | |intersection(*others)|Return a new set with elements common to the set and all others.| |set & other & ...|Return a new set with elements common to the set and all others.| |difference(*others)|Return a new set with elements in the set that are not in the others.| |set - other - ...|Return a new set with elements in the set that are not in the others.| |symmetric_difference(other)|Return a new set with elements in either the set or other but not both.| |set ^ other|Return a new set with elements in either the set or other but not both.| |copy()|Return a shallow copy of the set.| The following table lists operations **available for set** that do not apply to immutable instances of frozenset: ||| |---|---| | update(*others)| Update the set, adding elements from all others. | | set \|= other \| ... | Update the set, adding elements from all others.| | intersection_update(*others) | Update the set, keeping only elements found in it and all others.| | set &= other & ... | Update the set, keeping only elements found in it and all others.| |difference_update(*others)| Update the set, removing elements found in others. | |set -= other \| ...| Update the set, removing elements found in others.| |symmetric_difference_update(other)|Update the set, keeping only elements found in either set, but not in both.| |set ^= other|Update the set, keeping only elements found in either set, but not in both.| |add(elem)|Add element elem to the set.| |remove(elem)|Remove element elem from the set. Raises KeyError if elem is not contained in the set.| |discard(elem)|Remove element elem from the set if it is present.| |pop()|Remove and return an arbitrary element from the set. Raises KeyError if the set is empty.| |clear() | Remove all elements from the set.|