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Python walrus operator

last modified July 6, 2020

Python walrus operator tutorial shows how to use walrus operator in Python.

Python 3.8 introduced a new walrus operator :=. The name of the operator comes from the fact
that is resembles eyes and tusks of a walrus of its side.

The walrus operator creates an assignment expression. The operator allows us to assign a value to
a variable inside a Python expression. It is a convenient operator which makes our code more
compact.

print(is_new := True)

We can assign and print a variable in one go.

is_new = True
print(is_new)

Without the walrus operator, we have to create two lines.

Python walrus read input

In the following example, we use the walrus operator in a while loop.

read_words.py
#!/usr/bin/env python

words = []

while (word := input("Enter word: ")) != "quit":

words.append(word)

print(words)

We ask the user to write words, which are appended to a list.

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$ ./read_words.py
Enter word: cloud
Enter word: falcon
Enter word: rock
Enter word: quit
['cloud', 'falcon', 'rock']

This is a sample output.

Python walrus with if condition
Suppose that all our words must have at least three characters.

test_length.py
#!/usr/bin/env python

words = ['falcon', 'sky', 'ab', 'water', 'a', 'forest']

for word in words:

if ((n := len(word)) < 3):
print(f'warning, the word {word} has {n} characters')

In the example, we use the walrus operator to test the length of a word. If a word has less than
three characters, a warning is issued. We determine and assign the length of a word in one shot.

$ ./test_length.py
warning, the word ab has 2 characters
warning, the word a has 1 characters

This is the output.

Python walrus reading file
In the next example, we use the walrus operator to read a file.

words.txt
falcon
sky
cloud
water
rock
forest

We have some words in the words.txt file.

read_file.py
#!/usr/bin/env python

with open('words.txt', 'r') as f:

while line := f.readline():

print(line.rstrip())

The example reads the file using the readline() method. The walrus operator makes the code
shorter.

Python walrus traverse container

In the following example, we use the walrus operator when traversing a list of dictionaries.

traversing.py
#!/usr/bin/env python
 users = [
{'name': 'John Doe', 'occupation': 'gardener'},
{'name': None, 'occupation': 'teacher'},
{'name': 'Robert Brown', 'occupation': 'driver'},
{'name': None, 'occupation': 'driver'},
{'name': 'Marta Newt', 'occupation': 'journalist'}
]

for user in users:

if ((name := user.get('name')) is not None):
print(f'{name} is a {user.get("occupation")}')

In the example, we have None values in the dictionaries. We print all users who have name
specified.

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$ ./traversing.py
John Doe is a gardener
Robert Brown is a driver
Marta Newt is a journalist

There are three users who have their names specified.

Python walrus with regex

In the following example, we use the walrus operator in a regular expression.

search.py
#!/usr/bin/env python

import re

data = 'There is a book on the table.'

pattern = re.compile(r'book')

if match := pattern.search(data):
print(f'The word {pattern.pattern} is at {match.start(), match.end()}')
else:
print(f'No {pattern.pattern} found')

We search for a pattern and assign the match (if found) to a variable in one go.

$ ./search.py
The word book is at (11, 15)

The word book was found at the given indexes.

In this tutorial, we have worked with the Python walrus operator.

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