What does the next method represent? def method(self, a : dict) -> list:

Question

I am new to Python and I have the next questions in the below code line. Please help.

def method(self, a : dict) -> list:

1st question: what does it mean to declare a: dict?
2nd question: What does that arrow (-> list) means/indicates/represents?

To be honest I just have an idea about the first thing (a: dict), but I need the complete picture about how that way of writing that kind of python method works.

Thanks in advance.

Check this out: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/14379753/what-does-mean-in-python-function-definitions — null_override, Aug 31 '20 at 17:33

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 31 '20 at 17:33

3

So these are type hints.

a : dict is saying that a should be of type dict

and -> list is saying the function will return the type list

The documentation for this can be found here

answered Aug 31 '20 at 17:33

Rashid 'Lee' Ibrahim

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score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 31 '20 at 17:35

2

a : dict means the argument 'a' for the function is of dictionary type.
`-> list' means that this function will return a list variable.

answered Aug 31 '20 at 17:35

underhood31

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Thanks both of you! Kind regards – Christian Aug 31 '20 at 17:45

What does the next method represent? def method(self, a : dict) -> list:

2 Answers2