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- What is Blockchain Transaction? How Does it Work?
What is Blockchain Transaction? How Does it Work?
Updated on 30 November, 2022
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What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you encounter the term ‘blockchain’? If your answer is cryptocurrencies, you are not alone! Virtual money or cryptocurrency has been in vogue among investors globally. Recent times have seen digital currencies like Bitcoin take the crypto market by storm as investors jumped in to explore virtual money. However, cryptocurrency is not the only instance of blockchain usage. The revolutionary technology finds applications in several other areas, including money transfers, insurance, lending, voting, real estate, logistics and supply chain, and non-fungible tokens.
This article explores the concept of a blockchain transaction in detail and how it helps blockchain usage.
What is blockchain technology?
A blockchain is a distributed database that stores data electronically in a digital format. Unlike a traditional database that stores data in a tabular form, a blockchain structures data into blocks linked together into a chain. Every block has a fixed storage capacity and, when filled, is connected to the previous block in the chain. The new information that comes after the last-added block is compiled into a new block and subsequently added to the chain once it reaches its maximum storage capacity. The blockchain is shared among the computer network nodes, with each node having a copy of the blockchain or the transactions done on the network.
What is a blockchain transaction?
A transaction refers to a contract, agreement, transfer, or exchange of assets between two or more parties. The asset is typically cash or property. Likewise, a blockchain transaction is nothing but data transmission across the network of computers in a blockchain system. The network of computers in a blockchain store the transactional data as replicas with the storage typically referred to as a digital ledger.
Blockchain technology leverages peer-to-peer (P2P) networks to form a shared and secured ledger that records transactions as immutable time-stamped digital blocks. It is a decentralized ledger of transactions with no third-party involvement, and only participants in the blockchain network can validate transactions among them. While a blockchain can store different types of information, its most widespread use has been as a digital ledger for transactions.
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Blockchain Transaction Example
In the context of cryptocurrency, a blockchain transaction example is an individual payment, such as Person A sending .10 BTC (bitcoin) to Person B. A blockchain transaction would typically involve the following information getting stored in blocks:
- Data about the transaction, such as the date, time, amount of money paid, place, etc.
- Data about the participants of the blockchain transaction or the username.
- Block specific data or hash, a unique code that distinguishes one block from another.
Blockchain involves three key elements: cryptographic keys, a P2P network, and a computer network to store and record transactions. A cryptographic key is a unique and secure digital identity reference used for managing and authorizing transactions. Upon merging with the P2P network, the digital signature is used by individuals on the network to reach a consensus on transactions. Once a deal is authorized, a mathematical verification certifies it, resulting in a successful transaction between the two connected parties in the network. Besides financial transactions, blockchains also hold legal contracts, product inventories, transactional details of other assets like vehicles, property, etc.
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Steps of the Blockchain Transaction Process
A blockchain transaction has to undergo several steps before it becomes a part of the blockchain, a critical aspect of the technology being the way it authorizes and confirms transactions. The pointers below highlight the steps involved in a blockchain transaction:
- Entry of a new transaction
- Transmission of the transaction to a global network of peer-to-peer computers
- Peer network of computers confirms the validity of the transaction
- Confirmed legitimate transactions are clustered into blocks
- The blocks are chained together to create a long history of all transactions
- Completion of the transaction
Fundamentals of a Blockchain Transaction
One of the most significant attributes of blockchain transactions is security. Let’s look at the key aspects of blockchain technology that contribute to the safety of every blockchain transaction:
Hash encryptions
Blockchain employs hashing and encryption technology, mainly the SHA256 algorithm, to ensure data security. Therefore, the SHA256 algorithm transmits the transaction details as encrypted information (hash encryption), which gets added to the blockchain post verification. Thanks to the SHA256 algorithm, hash encryption becomes practically impossible to hack.
Authentication and authorization
Blockchain transactions are authenticated using cryptographic keys that are essentially strings of data identifying a blockchain user and giving access to their account on the system. The two cryptographic keys that ensure successful and secure transactions between two parties are private and public keys. Using these keys, a blockchain user creates a secure digital identity for controlling and authorizing transactions.
Mining
In blockchain technology, mining means adding transactions to the distributed digital public ledger of existing transactions (or the blockchain). Although primarily associated with bitcoin, mining also applies to other blockchain usage scenarios. The mining process involves generating a hash of a block of transactions. Since the hash is unforgeable, it protects the integrity of the entire blockchain without requiring a central system such as a bank or regulatory body.
Proof of work
The decision to add a transaction to a public blockchain is made by consensus whereby a majority of the computers (nodes) in the network must agree to the validity of a transaction. Thus, people who own the nodes in the network need to solve a complex mathematical puzzle known as the proof of work problem to add a block to the chain. Solving the proof of work problem is mining, the people doing it are miners, and they are rewarded for verifying transactions.
Proof of stake
Proof of stake is a validation consensus protocol in a blockchain for processing transactions and creating new blocks. It entails that blockchain participants must have a stake in the blockchain, typically by owning cryptocurrency. Hence, cryptocurrency owners get a chance to validate transactions by offering their stakes as collateral. An alternative to proof of work, the proof of stake mechanism saves significant computing power and resources.
Conclusion
Blockchain technology is making headlines with its wide-ranging practical utilities in various sectors and industries. However, the most widespread and well-known blockchain usage is in cryptocurrency. Apart from crypto, the applications of blockchain technology extend to traditional investments. Using blockchain for financial transactions is fast and cost-effective and allows investors greater control over their assets with no involvement of any third party. Besides, blockchain operations are efficient, accurate, and secure, making them ideal for sensitive operations in lending, insurance, real estate, voting, personal identity information storage, and many more.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Where are blockchain transactions stored?
Since blockchain is decentralized, blockchain transactions have no central storage location. Instead, the transactions are stored in computers (nodes) across the blockchain network. Each computer has a copy of the blockchain or the transactions done on the network.
2. What is a private blockchain?
Private blockchains work on closed networks and are typically used by private organizations and businesses to manage sensitive transaction data. A private blockchain network operates under a single authority.
3. What is decentralized finance (DeFi)?
Decentralized finance (DeFi) or open finance results from decentralized technologies such as blockchain. It represents the transition from conventional centralized and closed financial systems to a universally accessible economy based on secure distributed ledgers like those used in cryptocurrencies. In other words, DeFi eliminates the control that central bodies like banks have on money, financial services, and financial products.
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Why Learn to Code Now and How? Top 4 Reasons To Learn in 2024
Why learn to code?
What’s the benefit of coding?
Today, we’ll answer all such questions in this detailed article. We’ll unravel the top reasons why learning to code is a crucial 21st-century skill and how you can start your coding journey!
Top Reasons To Learn To Code
There are many advantages to learning to code. Let’s discuss the top reasons.
1. You Can Work From Home
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how companies operate. Organisations worldwide adopted ‘work from home’ technologies and methods to help them function in these uncertain times.
According to a Gartner survey, 80% of companies plan to allow employees to work remotely at least part-time after the pandemic ends. This means that even after the virus is gone, the work culture would remain changed.
Working from home is very beneficial in some areas. First, you don’t have to face the commute and can easily save a ton of time. Second, you can work more comfortably and create your schedules.
When you learn to code and become a technical professional, you can bag roles that offer remote work. In non-technical functions such as sales and management, your chances of getting remote work are much less than technical roles such as frontend developer or software engineer.
2. You will Develop Analytical Skills
As you learn to code, you will develop logical thinking and analytical skills. Analytical skills are vital for any role as they help you solve problems quickly and advance your career. These skills will benefit you everywhere, from securing a job interview to facing a role’s day-to-day issues. Here’s how analytical skills will help nurture your:
Critical thinking skills
Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate a problem with a careful thought process. With this ability, you can break down issues or arguments into steps and assess them independently.
Problem-Solving Skills
Problem-solving skills help you find solutions to upcoming and existing issues. Effective problem-solving skills will prepare you to face any work challenges, making you a valuable asset to your company.
Decision-Making Skills
As you’ll learn to code, you’ll enhance your decision-making skills to select a course of action or object from multiple alternatives. Coding helps you become more efficient in analysing different strategies and choose the right course of action for a particular situation.
3. You can Get High-Paying Jobs
Why learn to code? Because it offers some of the highest paying jobs on the planet.
The demand for skilled tech professionals is soaring, which is why there are many roles in this industry that offer six-figure salaries. Here are some of the highest-paid IT jobs in 2022.
Big Data Engineer
The median pay for big data engineers in the US is $166,500. Big data engineers transform large quantities of raw data into useful information. We generate tons of data every day. Big data engineers’ responsibility is to make this data useful for innovating, decision-making, and strategy-setting.
DevOps Engineer
DevOps engineers earn a median salary of $120,000. They work across multiple departments and enhance their organisation’s productivity through improving their IT systems. DevOps engineers are adept at programming and have strong collaboration and problem-solving skills.
Data Scientist
Data scientists earn a median salary of $129,000. These professionals use statistics and modelling to generate insights from complex data. Apart from being adept at using multiple programming languages and applying machine learning skills, these professionals must have strong communication skills to share their insights easily with others.
Cloud Engineer
Cloud engineers are experts in networking and cloud systems (both hardware and software). They are responsible for running and maintaining the cloud services their organisation uses. The median pay of cloud engineers is $115,250.
These are only the tip of the iceberg. If you know to code, there are plenty of promising roles in the industry for you to pursue.
4. You Can Become your Boss or Earn a Side Income
Maybe you have an entrepreneurial spark within you. Perhaps you don’t want to work for someone else and instead, want to work for yourself.
Even in that case, it would be best to learn to code. That’s because, with programming skills, you will have multiple options as an entrepreneur. We can divide those options into two broad categories:
Become a Freelancer
You can become a freelance professional in your desired domain and start offering services to companies. The gig economy has accelerated substantially after the pandemic, and the demand for freelance professionals is on the rise. As a freelancer, you’ll be working remotely and deciding who you want to work with. It’s an amazing way to become your boss.
Create a Product
After you learn to code, you can become a developer and create software products or applications. There are many options in this field. For example, you can become an app developer and complete a time-management mobile application. On the other hand, you might become a web developer and create beautiful websites.
Another answer to the “why learn to code?” question is to start your own business with this skill.
How to Learn to Code?
Now that we have discussed why learning to code is so useful, let’s discuss how to code.
The best way to learn to code is by taking a professional course. A course will provide you with a structured curriculum and dedicated mentorship. Both of these advantages allow you to learn quickly and efficiently as you can resolve doubts without difficulty.
Taking a course will provide you with the necessary qualification so you can apply for the jobs you aspire for right away.
At upGrad, we offer multiple courses that will teach you how to code and the required professional expertise to become a skilled programmer in your desired industry.
Following are the best courses if you want to learn to code:
1. Executive PG Program in Software Development
This is a 12-month course and offers six specialisations:
Full Stack Development
Blockchain Development
Big Data
Cloud Computing
DevOps
Cyber Security
This course offers 4-month content access in Data Science and Machine Learning for free. It offers more than 400 hours of learning content, and you’ll get to test your knowledge by working on 30+ projects and case studies. Read about software engineer salary in The USA.
2. Master of Science in Computer Science
If you want to pursue senior roles in the tech sector, this is the perfect course for you. We offer the Master of Science in Computer Science program in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University and IIIT-B.
This course offers six unique specialisations:
Full Stack Development
Blockchain Development
Big Data
Cloud Computing
DevOps
Cyber Security
Moreover, you will get more than 500 hours of study material and four years of unlimited content access. We offer a Software Career Transition Bootcamp for new coders and non-tech professionals with this program so you can kickstart your career easily.
3. Advanced Certificate Program in Cloud Computing
Remember the cloud engineer role we discussed earlier? If you want to enter the cloud computing industry, you should join our PG Certification in Cloud Computing. You must have a bachelor’s degree for joining this program. The course covers 250+ hours of study material to help you learn all the necessary skills to become a cloud computing professional.
4. Advanced Certificate Program in Cyber Security
You can enter the cybersecurity industry through our PG Certification in Cyber Security. This course lasts for 7.5 months and offers 250+ hours of study material. You only need to have a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for this program. No minimum work experience is required to join this program. Read about cyber security engineer salary in The USA.
Additional Benefits of These Courses
All of the courses we have covered above offer the following advantages that make them stand out:
Designed for Working Professionals
All of these courses are 100% online. What does it mean? It means you wouldn’t have to interrupt your professional life to join these courses. You can learn to code and develop professional skills without leaving your job.
Dedicated Success Mentor and Career Mentor
As a student of one of these courses, you’ll get a dedicated student success mentor and a career mentor. They will help you enter your desired industry, understand difficult concepts, and resolve your doubts.
Personalised Support
You will get interview preparation and resume building support. We offer company and role-specific practice through mock interviews right before your interview. Apart from mock interviews, you will also get access to our carefully curated pool of interview resources.
You will get to network with fellow students and professionals. Moreover, each of these courses offers enough scope for networking with alumni.
Start your Coding Journey Today!
We hope you found our article on why learning to code and how to learn to code useful. If you have any questions or suggestions, do share them in the comment section below. We’d love to hear from you.
Read Moreby Rohan Vats
01 May'21899.47K+
Cyber Security Salary in US: [Average to Highest]
Cybersecurity is one of the most trending career domains right now. Stats from the New York Times show that the cybersecurity industry would have 3.5 million unfilled jobs globally by 2021.
Many chief information insecurity officers across the globe are worried about the skills gap in cybersecurity. Around 58% of CISOs participating in a study believed that the issue of not having enough expert cybersecurity professionals would worsen in the coming years.
While this is an imminent challenge for companies and organizations in the cybersecurity domain, it is also a fantastic opportunity for aspirants. Why, you ask?
When there’s so much demand for a specific skill, companies pay generously for qualified skills and talent. Cybersecurity is one such skill. With high market demand and a low supply of the right talent, cybersecurity candidates can bag well-paying job roles across different sectors.
Top Jobs with the Highest Cyber Security Salary in the US
As we stated, most cybersecurity roles are accompanied by hefty annual salaries. Here are some of the top positions in the field that you should look out for:
1. Cybersecurity Analyst
The average salary of a cybersecurity analyst in the US is $76,603 per year. Pay in this field starts from $53,000 per annum and goes up to $117,000. Shared profits for this role can go as high as $15,000.
Experience matters a lot here. Entry-level cybersecurity analysts earn 17% below the median, whereas early-career cybersecurity analysts 6% below the average. On the other hand, late-career professionals in this role earn 32% more than the average, while experienced professionals earn 48% more.
A cybersecurity analyst with less than a year’s experience earns $63,000 per annum on average. Similarly, those with one to four years of experience earn $72,000 per annum on average. Experts with five to nine years of experience earn $88,000 per year on average, while those with 20+ years of experience make around $114,000 per annum.
What does a Cybersecurity Analyst Do?
A cybersecurity analyst is responsible for protecting their organization’s systems and network from cyber threats. Thus, they must stay updated with all the industry trends and design contingency plans for different situations.
Cybersecurity analysts review suspicious activities, report security breaches, and train the organization’s staff members on best security practices to safeguard the company’s networks, servers, and systems.
2. Cybersecurity Engineer
Cybersecurity engineers earn an average pay of $96,947 per annum. Their salaries start from $67,000 per year and go up to $138,000 per year. Shared profits for this role go up to $12,000, while bonuses may go up to $16,000, depending on various factors.
Entry-level cybersecurity engineers earn 22% less than the average, while late-career ones earn 22% more than the average. Experienced cybersecurity engineers earn 30% more than the average.
Popular skills for this role are security testing & auditing and security risk management.
What does a Cybersecurity Engineer do?
A cybersecurity engineer is responsible for designing and implementing secure network systems for their organization. They have to design solutions that match the company’s unique requirements and protect sensitive data/systems from cyber-attacks and threats. Cybersecurity engineers also have to test and monitor their implemented systems to ensure they operate optimally and protect the network from all the latest threats.
Due to the unique nature of their profession, cybersecurity engineers must continually upskill in their domain and get familiar with the latest developments in the industry.
3. Information Security Officer
An information security officer earns an average pay of $92,573 per annum on average. Their salary starts from $59,000 per annum and goes up to $136,000 per annum. Bonuses in this field go up to $21,000 and shared profits go up to $9,000.
A fresher in this field with less than a year’s experience makes $67,000 per annum while those with one to four years of experience $77,000 per annum on average. Similarly, information security officers with five to nine years of experience make $92,000 per annum on average and those with 20+ years of experience make $116,000 per annum on average.
What does an information security officer do?
An information security officer is responsible for implementing and monitoring the organization’s security policies, requirements, and compliance. They also oversee the training, policies, practices, and audits to make sure all the systems operate safely and securely. They identify risks by software, role, and information type to define the optimal mitigation strategies.
Information security officers must ensure that the organization’s data remains secure. Thus, they employ effective solutions that prevent hackers or any other malicious technologies from compromising the organization’s data integrity.
Information security officers have to create update schedules and configure the necessary scripts to make the deployment processes faster. They create security checks to help deter malware, spyware, and hackers.
4. Information Security Manager
An information security manager earns an average salary of $117,217 per annum on average in the US. Their pay starts from $79,000 per annum and goes up to $152,000 per annum. Bonuses in this field go up to $24,000 while the shared profits can go up to $15,000.
Information security managers with less than a year’s experience earn $84,000 per annum on average while those with one to four years of experience make $94.000 per annum on average. Moreover, professionals in this field with 10 to 19 years of experience earn $122,000 per annum on average.
What does an Information Security Manager do?
An information security manager has to maintain security protocols in their organization. They have to create different strategies for their organization to increase their internet security. They might also have to handle the different cybersecurity implements of their organization’s various projects.
Information security managers are responsible for creating and executing policy, auditing plans, and identifying the security risks their organization faces. They lead the security training procedures at their company and are responsible for communicating the cybersecurity policies.
Information security managers have to help migrate information assets into secure and compliant systems. They also oversee the company’s security testing platforms.
5. Chief Information Security Officer
The most revered career in the cybersecurity industry is CISO, also known as a chief information security officer. It is a dream role for many.
The average pay of a CISO in the US is $165,391 per annum. Their pay starts from $105,000 per annum and goes up to $229,000 per annum.
CISOs with less than a year’s experience in the field earn $106,000 per annum on average. On the other hand, a chief information security officer with one to four years of experience earns an average salary of $123,000 per year. Those with five to nine years of experience in this role earn $130,000 per year while those with 20+ years of experience make $180,000 per year on average.
What does a Chief Information Security Officer do?
A chief information security officer oversees and monitors the complete cybersecurity infrastructure of their company. They maintain standards, policies, and procedures to protect the integrity and privacy of the organization’s data. CISOs are also responsible for evaluating, reporting on, and suggesting new ideas for safeguarding the company from any potential security threats.
CISOs usually work with a team of cybersecurity professionals to develop the necessary solutions to protect the organization. They also create contingency plans for managing any data or security breaches. In addition, CISOs supervise the development and implementation of security protocols and procedures.
How to Start a Career in Cybersecurity?
If you’re interested in earning a cybersecurity salary, it would be best to enrol in a cybersecurity course. Since cybersecurity roles are highly specialized ones, each with its unique job description and skills, a professional certification program will help you become a job-ready cybersecurity expert. Plus, completing a cybersecurity course will give you the upper hand over your non-certified peers.
The course lasts for 7.5 months and, in the final four weeks, includes a capstone project so you can understand the applications of the skills you learn during the program. You’ll learn the fundamental and advanced concepts of cybersecurity implementations during this program directly from industry experts. This course provides you with 250+ hours of study material and offers 1:1 mentorship sessions with experts.
At upGrad, we offer the Advanced Certificate Program in Cybersecurity in partnership with the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore. We take pride in the fact that our learner base includes over 40,000 paid learners hailing from 85+ countries. Hence, if you opt for this global course, you will enjoy the experience of peer-to-peer. Not to forget, the course will make you ready to explore job opportunities in the international market.
Conclusion
The global demand for cybersecurity professionals is rising because companies are migrating to the cloud and are using more digital technologies to optimize their operations. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in this field, be sure to check out the course we mentioned above.
Although it may seem daunting, bagging a lucrative role in cybersecurity isn’t rocket science. All you need is a passion for upskilling and a little professional guidance from industry experts and mentors. Once you master the fundamentals of the domain and gain the requisite skills, you will have a much better chance of becoming a cybersecurity expert at a reputed organization.
Read Moreby Rohan Vats
30 Jun'215.46K+
What is Hashmap in Java? Explained with Examples
HashMap is a collection class in Java. You can use it to store key and value pairs. Its performance depends on the initial capacity and the load factor. HashMap has various methods that allow you to use its hash table data structure.
In the following article, we’ll explore what HashMap is and learn about its various constructors through examples.
What is HashMap?
HashMap is a collection class based on Map. We use it to store Key & value pairs. You denote a HashMap Java as HashMap<K, V>, where K stands for Key and V stands for Value.
HashMap is similar to the Hashtable class. The difference between the two is that HashMap is unsynchronized while Hashtable isn’t. Also, unlike Hashtable, HashMap allows null values and the null key.
Since HashMap isn’t an ordered collection, it doesn’t return the keys and values in the order you insert them. Also, HashMap doesn’t sort the stored keys and values. If you want to use the HashMap class and its methods, you’ll have to import java.util.HashMap (or its superclass).
HashMap gives you a simple implementation of Java’s Map interface. You can access the key-value pairs you store through HashMap by using an index of another type (such as an integer). Keep in mind that if you use a duplicate key, it replaces the element of the relevant key. Also, you can only use one null key object; however, there can be any number of null values.
HashMap implements Cloneable, Serializable, Map<K, V> interfaces. It extends the AbstractMap<K, V> class, and its direct subclasses are PrinterStateReasons and LinkedHashMap.
Features of HashMap
Following are the primary features in HashMap:
It is a component of the java.util.package.
You can use duplicate values, but HashMap doesn’t allow duplicate keys. It means one key can’t have multiple values, but multiple keys can have a single value.
You can use null keys only once, but you can use various null values.
HashMap provides no guarantees regarding the map’s order. So, it doesn’t guarantee if the order will remain constant.
HashMap is very similar to Hashtable, with the only difference being that HashMap is unsynchronized.
HashMap implements a Serializable and Cloneable interface.
HashMap Constructors
There are four constructors in HashMap:
1. HashMap()
HashMap() is the default constructor that creates an instance with a load factor of 0.75 and an initial capacity of 16.
Example:
// Showing how HashMap() constructor works
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
class AddElementsToHashMap {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// You don’t have to mention the
// Generic type twice
HashMap<Integer, String> hm1 = new HashMap<>();
// Using Generics to initialize HashMap
HashMap<Integer, String> hm2
= new HashMap<Integer, String>();
// Use the put method to add any element
hm1.put(1, “A”);
hm1.put(2, “B”);
hm1.put(3, “C”);
hm2.put(4, “D”);
hm2.put(5, “E”);
hm2.put(6, “F”);
System.out.println(“Results of hm1 are : “
+ hm1);
System.out.println(“Results of HashMap hm2 are : “
+ hm2);
}
}
Output:
Results of hm1 are : {1=A, 2=B, 3=C}
Results of hm2 are : {4=D, 5=E, 6=F}
2. HashMap(int initialCapacity)
HashMap(int initialCapacity) would create an instance with load 0.75 and a specific initial capacity.
Example:
// Showing how HashMap(int initialCapacity) constructor works
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
class AddElementsToHashMap {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// You don’t have to mention the
// Generic type twice
HashMap<Integer, String> hm1 = new HashMap<>(10);
// Using Generics to initialize HashMap
HashMap<Integer, String> hm2
= new HashMap<Integer, String>(2);
// Use the put method to add any element
hm1.put(1, “A”);
hm1.put(2, “B”);
hm1.put(3, “C”);
hm2.put(4, “D”);
hm2.put(5, “E”);
hm2.put(6, “F”);
System.out.println(“Results of hm1 are : “
+ hm1);
System.out.println(“Results of HashMap hm2 are : “
+ hm2);
}
}
Output:
Results of hm1 are : {1=A, 2=B, 3=C}
Results of hm2 are : {4=D, 5=E, 6=F}
3. HashMap(int initialCapacity, float loadFactor)
HashMap(int initialCapacity, float loadFactor) generates an instance with a specific load factor and initial capacity.
Example:
// Showing how HashMap(int initialCapacity, float loadFactor) Constructor works
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
class AddElementsToHashMap {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// You don’t have to mention the
// Generic type twice
HashMap<Integer, String> hm1
= new HashMap<>(5, 0.75f);
// Using Generics to initialize the HashMap
HashMap<Integer, String> hm2
= new HashMap<Integer, String>(3, 0.5f);
// Use the put method to add elements
hm1.put(1, “A”);
hm1.put(2, “B”);
hm1.put(3, “C”);
hm2.put(4, “D”);
hm2.put(5, “E”);
hm2.put(6, “F”);
System.out.println(“Results of hm1 are : “
+ hm1);
System.out.println(“Results of HashMap hm2 are : “
+ hm2);
}
}
Output:
Results of hm1 are : {1=A, 2=B, 3=C}
Results of hm2 are : {4=D, 5=E, 6=F}
4. HashMap(Map map)
HashMap(Map map) would create an instance with the same mappings as the map you specify.
Example:
// Showing how HashMap(Map map) constructor works
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
class AddElementsToHashMap {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// You don’t have to mention the
// Generic type twice
Map<Integer, String> hm1 = new HashMap<>();
// Using Generics to initialize HashMap
HashMap<Integer, String> hm2
= new HashMap<Integer, String>(hml);
// Use the put method to add any element
hm1.put(1, “A”);
hm1.put(2, “B”);
hm1.put(3, “C”);
hm2.put(4, “D”);
hm2.put(5, “E”);
hm2.put(6, “F”);
System.out.println(“Results of hm1 are : “
+ hm1);
System.out.println(“Results of HashMap hm2 are : “
+ hm2);
}
}
Output:
Results of hm1 are : {1=A, 2=B, 3=C}
Results of hm2 are : {4=D, 5=E, 6=F}
Learn more about Java
Java has many classes apart from HashMap. Learning about the nitty-gritty of each of those classes, their uses, and integration in Java by yourself is pretty challenging. The best way to go about this process is by taking a computer science course.
Taking a professional course will enable you to master the necessary skills and concepts through a structured curriculum. Furthermore, such courses offer an immersive learning experience facilitated by videos, live sessions, and online lectures that make it easier for you to understand theoretical fundamentals.
You can check out our Master of Science in Computer Science program offered in association with LJMU (Liverpool John Moores University, UK) and IIIT-B (International Institute of Information Technology, India). The course covers 500+ hours of content, 10+ live lectures, and 30+ case studies.
This 19-month course promises a highly value-oriented and global learning experience. The biggest value addition lies in the fact that you get to connect and engage with peers from across the world. upGrad boasts of having 40,000+ paid global learners spread in over 85+ countries. As a result, you are exposed to new cultures, new opinions, and new perspectives that broaden your overall outlook. Not just that, you are trained by expert mentors from LJMU and IIIT-B who deliver dedicated and personalized assistance to help resolve your doubts.
Along with these advantages, this program will provide you with 360 degrees career assistance that includes industry mentorship, networking opportunities, and much more.
Conclusion
In this article, we learned what HashMap is, its different constructors, and how you can implement them through examples. HashMap has a ton of applications in Java – you can use HashMap to add items, remove them, and manage them as required.
What are your thoughts on this guide on HashMap? Share them in the comment section below.
Read Moreby Arjun Mathur
02 Jul'216.77K+
Scrum Master Salary in US in 2024
The job role of a Scrum Master started gaining prominence from 1992 onwards when Jeff Sutherland and his team coined the term. From then to now, Scrum Master has established its importance to organizations across the globe and has grown to become one of the higher paying and most promising jobs in the current times.
In this article, let’s look at a Scrum Master’s salary along with the factors that affect this salary range!
Factors influencing a Scrum Master’s salary range
Here are some factors that go on to determine your salary as a Scrum Master:
1. Years of Experience
This is easily one of the most important criteria that influence the final salary that you’ll draw as a Scrum Master. With experience, the job roles and responsibilities taken by Scrum Master increase, and so does the salary figure. Here are some things that Scrum Masters learn with experience, that influence their salaries:
If you’re aiming to bag a higher-paying Scrum Master job, it’s recommended that you work as a Scrum Master for a minimum of one year and apply different Scrum practices, theories, and principles.
Understanding leadership principles, facilitation, conflict resolution, situational awareness, continual improvement, and more.
2. Level of Skills and Responsibilities Required for the Job
A Scrum Master’s job isn’t bound to a particular designation. The more experienced you are (and if you have considerable experience working in agile teams), the better idea you’ll have about the latest Scrum strategies around problem-solving. These approaches include XP, Crystal, Kanban, FDD, etc. If the job role requires you to handle multiple tasks using different technologies and strategies, you can expect a higher salary package.
To get better job opportunities, it is preferred to have knowledge of different successful Agile techniques such as:
TDD
ATDD
Continuous integration
Continuous testing
User stories
Automated testing
Pairing
Agile games
3. Applicable Knowledge of the Underlying Technologies
An organization is likely to offer you higher salaries as a Scrum Master if you have a working understanding of the technology that powers their business. That’s simply because if you’re aware of their technologies, they won’t need to spend time, effort, and resources in helping you train in that particular technology – and that way, they’ll be in a position to offer you higher salaries.
4. Knowledge of Appropriate Patterns and Techniques
A professional Scrum Master always utilizes various well-documented techniques and patterns for filling in the intentional gaps left in the Scrum approach. These approaches include things like various retrospective formats, burndown technologies, handling bugs, and more. If you’re aware of these techniques and have a working knowledge of them, you’ll find yourself in a position of demanding higher salaries.
5. Location of the job
This one goes without saying. The final salary that you’re offered for the Scrum Master role by any organization depends largely on where the job is located. If it’s a city with high living standards and a dense population, the salary offered is generally higher as compared to if the job is in a remote city with lower living standards.
Salaries Offered to Scrum Masters
According to Payscale, the average salary for entry-level Scrum Masters in the USA is $79,309 per year. This figure goes on to touch the six-figure mark of $107,957 in some organizations and roles.
However, with more experience and skills, the salaries become increasingly better. Payscale indicates that a Scrum Master with 3-5 years of experience in the USA can, on average, earn $103,566 yearly, with this figure reaching as high as $134,203 yearly for some organizations.
If you have over 5 years of experience and possess the latest industry skills required to work in an agile team, your salary range will increase inevitably. With 5+ years of experience, Scrum Masters in the USA can on average expect a salary of $140,000 yearly. This figure only goes higher from here with your experience, expertise, and skillsets.
Below mentioned are statistics from Payscale:
Scrum Master Experience/Country
USA
Entry-Level Scrum Master
$79,309 p.a.
($107,957 highest)
Mid-Level Scrum Master
$103,566 p.a
($134,000 highest)
Experienced Scrum Master
$140,000+ p.a.
A 2019 research conducted by Glassdoor revealed that Scrum Masters are among the highest paid professionals in the USA with the overall average salary being $98,000 and the number of vacancies as high as 1,896. In terms of job location, cities such as Atlanta, NYC, Charlotte, Richmond, and Charlotte are among the best to be working as a Professional Scrum Master.
One more factor that goes into improving your Scrum Master salary is the certifications that you’ve done. In that regard, here are some popular Scrum Master certifications and the average salaries that you can draw yearly after completing that certification.
Certified Scrum Master – $89,000
Professional Scrum Master – $90,000
Agile Certified Practitioner – $105,000
Agile Scrum Master – $110,000
Scrum Master Certified – $110,000
SAFe Scrum Master – $115,000
Top Companies that Hire Scrum Masters
Scrum has become increasingly popular in the past few years, with a greater number of software industry leaders adopting its techniques for solving their day-to-day challenges. According to the Scrum Guide, most software development companies across the world use Scrum strategies in some shape or form. Before reaching the software development industry, Scrum had already been adopted for industries like operations, education, marketing, manufacturing, and others.
If you have the required experience and expertise to deal with conflicts and are a proven facilitator, you’ll find many top companies hiring for the position of Scrum Master. According to Glassdoor job results, here are the major companies hiring Scrum Masters in the USA, along with the average yearly pay that you can expect at these organizations:
TransUnion – $104,000
Thomson Reuters – $103,000
UnitedHealth Group – $97,000
Ciber – $97,000
IBM – $94,000
J.P. Morgan – $92,000
Capital One – $87,000
AT&T – $85,000
The past few years have seen the pay structure of Scrum Masters increase at a rapid pace. Even today, the popularity of Scrum Masters continues to increase. So, if you like working in an Agile environment as in situations of conflict resolution, you might be just the right fit for working as a Scrum Master. The job role is broadly all about using Agile-Scrum techniques to take the projects to completion on time without compromising on the quality of work.
Why is Scrum Masters so Highly Paid?
Scrum methods have brought revolutionary changes in the way project management was accomplished in various organizations. Problem-solving and conflict resolution have been simplified beyond measures by deploying Scrum methodologies. This reason alone is enough to justify the high salary that Scrum Masters tend to draw.
We’re living in the digital age where products and software need to be delivered on time after continuous feedback, revisions, collaboration, and so much more. To keep all things in control and ensure that the product rollout happens on time, it’s essential for all the different teams to work in sync. That sounds easier than done – and that’s why Scrum Masters are there to keep everybody on the same table while working towards a common goal.
Companies today, regardless of their domain of operations, are highly aware of the importance of an Agile workflow and a Scrum Master. Scrum Masters can take any team and convert it into a self-organized, productive unit by following Scrum practices, and that is what makes them unique and indispensable for any organization.
In Conclusion
Scrum Masters are professionals that are paid handsomely no matter the organization they work for. If you look at their roles and responsibilities, this will make complete sense to you. After all, they’re responsible for seamless end-to-end project management in the most efficient manner.
The good news is that becoming a Scrum Master is not that difficult. If you’re inherently a curious person with an inclination towards conflict resolution, this is just the perfect job for you, and with just a little bit of guidance and support, you’ll be on your way to working as a Scrum Master in an organization of your choice.
So, if you’re a beginner in this Agile world and are looking to get yourself a solid foundation, we recommend you check out the Master of Science in Computer Science course. Whether you’re a fresher or a mid-level expert or a senior-level professional – this course is designed to offer something to everybody. Check out the curriculum and know more for yourself!
If you’re looking for a career change and are seeking professional help – upGrad is just the upskilling platform for you! We are proud to have a learner base spread across 85+ countries, 40,000+ paid learners globally, and 500,000+ happy working professionals. Our 360-degree career assistance, combined with the exposure of studying and brainstorming with global students, allows you to make the most of your learning experience. Reach out to us today for a curated list of courses around Data Science, Machine Learning, Management, Technology, and a lot more!
Read Moreby Rohan Vats
09 Jul'215.28K+
What is React? A Complete Overview
What is React?
React is an open-source, component-based JavaScript library used to create quick and interactive interfaces or UI components for users for web and mobile-based applications.
Ever since its release in 2013 by Facebook, React, a JavaScript library used to build web applications, has consistently witnessed an upward trend. It is now the most-used JavaScript library alongside the likes of jQuery, Vue, and Angular.
It is a declarative and highly accurate library that provides reusable code, which enhances the efficiency and flexibility of single-page applications.
Its key features are SX and Virtual DOM, which set it apart from other JavaScript libraries. Popular companies like Facebook, TripAdvisor, and Airbnb are users of React.
Key Highlights of React
The component-based, front-end library optimizes the page loading speed and efficiency of single-page applications.
React helps in generating easy-to-use interactive UIs.
It is used to design comfortable and interactive views for every state in the application.
It offers on-time updates that help users to receive relevant components required when data changes.
React breaks the UI into smaller individual components, enabling users to simultaneously work on each component resulting in faster app development.
Why does React have the edge over other frameworks?
React has a lot of efficient features that make the library stand out against other libraries. The following is the list of powerful features that have catapulted React to the numero uno position:
Effective DOM Manipulation
DOM (Document Object Model) is a crucial part of the web application, as it represents the web page of a document, generally HTML. DOM manipulation has become the latest trend in modern applications as they require numerous animations, state transitions, impactful effects, and so on:
The Virtual DOM is a virtual model of the actual DOM tree with each branch ending in a node that contains objects. The feature enables the users to update only the necessary parts of the DOM tree instead of re-rendering the entire UI.
The whole process of implementing a virtual DOM is faster as it stays only in the memory without providing access to the user.
JSX
The JavaScript’s syntax extension is merged with React to clearly define how the user interface (UI) is supposed to look. JSX can be used to write HTML structures in a file that has JavaScript code. By doing this, the code becomes easily understandable as the process avoids complex JavaScript DOM structures.
More functionality with lesser code
React facilitates the simple and quick generation of dynamic web applications as it requires less coding against JavaScript that involves complex coding.
Quick application development
Components are the foundation of any React application. Most apps require a lot of components to control each task in app development. React components have a wide range of logic and controls that can be reused because of which the applications can be developed at a quick pace.
Easy error debugging
In React, the child components are placed inside the parent components, and so the data flows only in one way. The single direction of data enables the app developers to identify the exact location of the error in an application resulting in faster debugging. React components are designed based on the Separation of concerns principle, according to which a computer program is separated into smaller sections, each of which addresses different issues.
Use of UI component library
A set of ready-made components that provide the necessary blocks of code for developing apps constitute the UI component library. The use of the UI library, Kendo React, brings in a lot of advantages like greater compatibility, better accessibility, speed, and easier handling.
For instance, the Create React app is used at the beginning stage of React app setup. This enables the developers to start using the React app with a single command.
Redux
Redux is a popular state management library used in React. It places all the data inside a store such that each component has access to the store. The two powerful concepts of Redux are actions and reducers.
Actions are the events that transfer the data, and reducers are functions that perform a task corresponding to the data and return it to a new state.
Easy to learn
It is easy to learn React as it is an amalgamation of HTML and JavaScript concepts with some add-ons.
Use in developing mobile apps
React is known for its effectiveness in web application development but is not limited to only that. React Native, an immensely popular framework of React helps in developing mobile applications.
Chrome extension to debug React applications
Facebook has come up with a chrome extension that is exclusively used for debugging React applications. This makes debugging simpler and faster.
The above features make React one of the most-used JavaScript libraries, which are preferred by a huge number of businesses over the likes of jQuery, Vue, and Angular.
In addition to this, React does not insist on strict code conventions or file organizations, unlike other frameworks. This helps developers to have their convenient conventions and use React in any way they like. React can be assigned to handle a single button, a few interface pieces, or an application’s entire user interface.
Prerequisites for learning and using React
The following list will help developers who have just started using React determine if they are ready to take the plunge:
A basic understanding of HTML, JavaScript, CSS, Babel, and Package manager: Front-end developers should know how to generate CSS selectors, HTML tags and to develop applications using HTML and CSS.
A good grip on ES6, JSX, and their features: In React, the developers need to use JSX that gives the flavour of HTML JavaScript. A complete understanding of how to use JSX is mandatory to learn React.
Understanding of how Node Package Manager (NPM) works: A basic understanding of installing packages using NPM, finding required software from the NPM registry is indispensable for developing React apps.
React Vs. Angular and Vue
Angular, developed by Google in 2010, is a TypeScript based framework. Two versions of the same were released in 2016 (Angular 2) and 2020 (Angular 11).
Vue, a.k.a Vue.js, was released by Evan You in 2014. The latest version of Vue was released in September 2010 (Vue 3.0), which has its own GitHub tool.
Let us compare the key aspects of the three frameworks.
Key features
React
Angular
Vue
Year of release
2013
2010
2014
Website
Reactjs.org
Angular.io
vuejs.org
Latest Version
17.x
11
3.0.x
Leading companies using the framework
Facebook, Uber
Google, Wix
Alibaba, GitLab
Number of Contributors
1533
1352
382
Number of jobs in LinkedIn
70963
72747
11590
Future Scope of React in the Industry
With growing patronage from new-age developers, React has become a top trend in the front-end development industry.
React developers are better compensated than other web developing frameworks. According to PayScale, the average salary offered to developers in React.js is $92,341 per year. Compensations increase as you level up in your career — L4 Lead Front End Engineers are paid a high base salary of $115,862 per year.
It is widely preferred by many companies owing to its simplicity and quick pace and so React developers have a huge demand in the market. Many leading companies like Facebook, PayPal, Instagram, UBER, and Airbnb use React for their web development. Therefore, React developers have a potential future as the technology is used in a wide range of industries.
Ever since its release in 2013, React has been consistently growing in demand and popularity and Facebook adding many advanced features to the tool is making it more desirable and stronger in the market. ReactJs has completely revamped the front-end handling making it faster and easier by addressing its view issue and providing a UI view and storage layer.
Let us look at the key parameters of React that show its current trend in the market:
Key Parameters
Figures of React
Number of Watchers
6,700
Number of Stars
16,400
Number of Forks
32,900
Number of Contributors
1,533
React is also comparatively easier to learn and has a wider community than other libraries like Angular or Vue. The job market for React developers looks very promising.
The following table shows the number of positions available for React developers:
List of job portals
Number of Vacancies
LinkedIn
70963
Indeed
14595
Simply Hired
10508
Dice
3529
AngelList
4383
Hired
9
Remote
1136
To Conclude
The path to learning React might take time, but it is certainly worth the effort and time given its popularity as the most-used JavaScript for developing modern applications. The powerful and efficient features of React and the ease of handling them make it unique from other libraries and frameworks. The tools introduced by React like JSX, DOM, and reusable components have completely revolutionized and simplified the process of app development.
All the above features make ReactJs an indispensable tool in web development. Developers who look beyond Angular and Vue find React as their one-stop destination. According to The State of JavaScript 2020 survey, React tops the list of most-used JavaScript libraries, which proves that this framework is here to stay for a long time.
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The 19-month course grants students IIIT Bangalore & LJMU alumnus status apart from providing them access to upGrad’s 40,000+ paid learner base. Students can pursue networking and peer learning on a global level by connecting with professionals spread across 85+ countries. Students also receive 360-degree career assistance from industry experts and leading faculty through upGrad’s online programs.
This is your chance to uplevel and transition to Software Development roles. So, start your learning journey today!
Read Moreby Rohit Sharma
28 Jul'217.17K+
A Complete Python Cheat Sheet (Updated 2024)
The United States has the largest number of software developers specializing in technologies like Python. If you want to be one of them, it is best to start with the fundamentals. We have compiled a Python cheat sheet below to kickstart your learning journey!
Applications of Python
As a leading general-purpose programming language, Python is used for a wide range of industry applications. Here are some of its popular use cases:
Web development is backed by frameworks like Django, Pyramid, Flask, and content management systems such as Plone.
Scientific and numeric computing powered by SciPy, Pandas, IPython, etc.
Desktop GUIs enabled by toolkits like Livy, wxWidgets, PySide, and GTK+.
Software development, including build, control and management, and testing.
Programming-related education and training, both at the introductory and advanced levels.
Business applications encompassing ERP and e-commerce solutions. Examples of enterprise application platforms include Odoo and Tryton.
In terms of technical skills, Python lets you master two coding tasks at once, i.e., server-side development and machine learning. It is open-sourced, equipped with extensive libraries, and supports user-friendly data structures. Moreover, you can easily find a Python cheat sheet pdf online to clarify the basics.
The following Python cheat sheet will familiarize you with the data types, math operators, strings, functions, lists, and tuples. We have also included Regular Expressions (Regex) information to give you a well-rounded view of the programming language.
Getting Started with Python
The first step is to check whether your computer has pre-installed Python. You can do so via the Command Line search. After that, you can begin writing your code in any text editor and save the file in .py format. You would then be able to run the code in the Command Line prompt.
However, this approach is suitable only for straightforward, non-data science tasks. You might want to switch to IDE or IDLE if you want to interpret your code. If you are a beginner in python and data science, upGrad’s data science online courses can definitely help you dive deeper into the world of data and analytics.
IDLE stands for Integrated Development and Learning Environment. Every installation comes with a Python IDLE that highlights relevant keywords or string functions. Shell is the default mode of operation that lets you test various code snippets via the following tasks:
Read statements
Evaluate results
Print results on the screen
Loop to the next statement
Data Types in Python
A Python value is termed an “object.” Every object has a particular data type. Here is a list of the most-used data types with examples:
Integers: Represented by keyword (int), it includes integer numbers, such as -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, etc.
Floating-point numbers: Non-integer fractional numbers denoted by (float). For example, -1.5, -1, -0.5, 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5
Strings: Sequence of characters that cannot be changed once defined. For example, “hello”, “hey”. Typically, single, double, or triple quotes are used to create a basic Python string. Whichever option you choose, keep it consistent throughout the program. Here are some other things to keep in mind:
The print() function would output your string to the console window.
You can apply join() or replace() to modify these strings but cannot rewrite the original.
Lists: Ordered sequence of elements that keep the data together so that you can perform operations on several values at once. Each value is termed as an “item” and placed within square brackets. The items can be changed once stored. Consider the examples below.
one_list = [1, 2, 3, 4]
two_list = [“b”, “c”, “f” “g”]
three_list = [“4”, d, “car”, 7]
Tuples: Similar to lists, but the stored values cannot be changed. You can create a tuple as follows:
new_tuple = (5, 6, 7, 8)
my_tuple[0:5]
(2, 3, 4)
Dictionaries: Indexes that hold key-value pairs. It can include integers, boolean, or strings. For instance, Buyer 1= {‘username’: ‘john doe, ‘online’: true ‘friends’:150}
You can use the any of these two options to create a dictionary:
my_dict = {}
new_dict= dict()
Let us now look at the common practicalities of these data types.
String Concatenation & Replication
Concatenation involves adding two strings together with the “+” operator, as demonstrated below.
my_string = “I love”
other_string = “reading books”
final_string = my_string + other_string
Notably, concatenation is only possible for the same data types. If you try to use “+” for a string and integer, you will encounter an error in Python.
The replication command lets you repeat a string using the * operator.
‘Alex’ * 4 ‘AlexAlexAlexAlex’
print(“Alex” * 4)
However, this only holds true for string data types. When * is applied to numbers, it acts as a multiplier, not a replicator.
Math Operators
You can apply several math operations with numbers via specific operators. For reference, let’s examine this list:
To return an exponent, use “**” (2 ** 4 = 16)
To multiply numbers, use the single asterisk sign, “*” (2 * 2 = 4)
To get the quotient in integer division, use “//” as the operator (20 // 8 = 2)
For the remainder, apply the “%” symbol (20 % 8 = 4)
For the floating point number, apply “/” (20 / 8 = 2.5)
For subtraction, “-” is the standard operator (6 -2 = 4)
To add numbers, use “+” (3 + 3 = 6)
Functions in Python
Functions are blocks of coded instruction capable of performing particular actions. Python has some built-in functions, namely:
Input(): Prompts the user for input, which is further stored as a string.
len(): Finds the length of strings, lists, tuples, dictionaries, and other data types.
filter(): Excludes items in iterable objects, such as lists, tuples, or dictionaries.
You can also define your own function using the def keyword followed by name():. Here, the parentheses can either stay empty or contain any parameters to specify the purpose of the function.
Performing Operations with Lists
The list() function provides an alternate way of creating lists in Python. The statements mentioned below illustrate this option.
my_list = list ((“1”, “2”, “3”))
print(my_list)
The append() or insert() functions are used to add new items to a list. Functions like remove() and pop() let you remove items from a list. Alternatively, you may try the del keyword to delete a specific item. The “+” operator combines two lists, and the sort () function organizes the items in your list.
Working with ‘If Statements’
Python supports the basic logical conditions from math:
Equals: a == b
Not Equals: a != b
Less than: a < b
Less than or equal to a <= b
Greater than: a > b
Greater than or equal to a >= b
You can leverage these conditions in various ways. But most likely, you’ll use them in “if statements” and loop.
The goal of a conditional statement is to check if it’s True or False.
if 5 > 1: print(“That’s True!”)
Output: That’s True!
You can know more about Nested If Statements, Elif statements, If Else Statements, and If-Not statements in any Python cheat sheet pdf.
Creating Python Classes
Every element, along with its methods and properties, is an object in Python, considering it is an object-oriented programming language. Classes are blueprints for creating these objects. While a class is manifested in a program, objects are the instances of the class. Suppose you have to create a SampleClass with a property named x. You will begin with:
class SampleClass:
z = 4
In the next step, you will create an object using your SampleClass. You can do so using p1 = SampleClass(). You can further assign attributes and methods to your object with a few simple steps.
Python Exceptions (Errors)
Here is a list of some common errors that pop up while using Python.
KeyError: When a dictionary key doesn’t feature in the set of existing keys.
TypeError: When an operation or function is inapplicable to an object type.
ValueError: When a built-in operation or function gets an argument with the correct type but of inappropriate value.
IndexError: When a subscript cannot be detected, being out of range.
ZeroDivision: When the second argument of a division operation is zero.
AttributeError: When an attribute assignment fails.
ImportError: When an import statement fizzles in locating the module definition.
OSError: A system-related error.
For troubleshooting these errors in Python, you can use exception-handling resources — try/except statements.
Python Regex Cheat Sheet
Regex is an integral part of any programming language. It helps you search and replace specific text patterns. In other words, it is a set of characters that lets you remember syntax and how to form patterns depending on your requirements. So, let’s look at some useful regex resources for Python.
Basic characters
^ matches a string expression to its right before the line break
$ matches the expression to its left before the string experiences a line break
xy matches the xy string.
a|b matches the a or b expressions. b is left untried if a gets matched first.
Quantifiers
+ matches an expression to its left once or more than once.
* matches an expression to its left 0 or multiple times.
? matches an expression to its left between 0 and 1 time.
{p} matches an expression to its left not less than p times.
{p,q} matches an expression to its left between p and q times.
{p,} matches an expression to its left p times or more than p times.
{,q} matches an expression to its left through q times.
Module Functions
re.findall (A, B) returns a list of all instances of expression A in the B string.
re.search (A, B) returns a re-match object of the first insurance of expression A in the B string.
re.sub (A, B, C) replaces A with B in the C string.
You can find more regular expressions on character classes, sets, and groups in any Python regex cheat sheet available online.
Summing up
In this blog, we detailed the foundational steps of working with the Python programming language. We covered everything from IDLE to integers, strings, lists, dictionaries, tuples, and math operators. We also learned how to define a function and discussed examples of different statements and errors. By no means is the above checklist complete, but it can definitely help you get the hang of Python. Once you are through with these nuts and bolts, you can increase your speed and productivity with regular practice.
Additionally, Python’s active support community and advanced online courses can help you stay updated. Check out upGrad’s Executive PG Program in Software Development and other programs in technology, data science, and machine learning. The platform allows the flexibility to learn at your own pace, a benefit that is celebrated in over 85 countries. upGrad courses have transformed the career trajectory of more than 40,000 paid learners and 500,000 working professionals globally. Perhaps the above Python cheat sheet would fuel your curiosity to explore and upskill!
Read Moreby Rajat Gupta
09 Aug'215.35K+
What is React? Definition, Function & Applications
What is React?
React is an open-source JavaScript collection that is known to construct highly responsive and dynamic user interfaces. Thus, ReactJS emerges as a very effective solution for creating scalable mobile apps and front-end web with its classic component-based design. You can even build reusable UI components with React.
Jordan Walke developed React while working with Facebook as a software engineer. It was available in the public eye in 2011 on Facebook and later in 2012 on Instagram. React primarily focuses on building interactive, appealing, and natural applications. Moreover, it can provide you with the best rendering performance with just basic coding.
React allows developers to create an extensive web application that can transform data without reloading the page. You can view this in the MVC template and can be used by combining other JavaScript frameworks. Many top companies like Airbnb, Netflix, New York times, and Instagram have used React. It has also been instrumental to frameworks like Angular.js.
React has some remarkable features like server-side rendering, real-time updates, and so on. Fortunately, this JavaScript library doesn’t fail to impress anyone.
If you’re new to React framework or just refreshing your core concepts, we are here to provide you with all the fundamentals of React library. To know more, you may like to read further!
Key Features of React
React JavaScript has a huge fan base in the developers’ community for its robust features. Some of its distinguishing features are:
1. Virtual DOM
This is a core feature of React, as it facilitates flexible and fast application development. Furthermore, it enables React to replicate a web page in its virtual memory with its memory reconciliation algorithm. So, a virtual DOM is represented instead of the original DOM.
The virtual DOM re-renders the complete user interface with every modification in the application. Point to note, only the components that changed are updated, and the rest of the components remain the same in virtual representation.
Thus, React helps to make the development process cost-effective and quick for the developers.
2. JavaScript XML
JavaScript XML is popularly known as JSX. It is a syntax that is quite similar to HTML. It is primarily used to describe the appearance of an application UI. It is one of the critical features that ReactJS offers to developers. It injects components identical to HTML in the web page to create the syntax.
This helps to make writing the building blocks of ReactJS effortless. It also allows the developers to create syntax most easily.
3. One-way data binding
React offers one-way data flow, which creates one of the primary reasons for its easy work management. Unidirectional data binding is used in ReactJS, which means that the developers can not edit any component directly. However, they have to operate through the call-back function to make any changes. Hence, its process of work is called one-way data binding.
ReactJS uses Flux(a JavaScript application) to perform data control from a central point. Thus, developers can easily manage mobile applications and the web. Moreover, it enhances efficiency and makes the application more flexible.
4. React Native
React Native is customized to use native components instead of web components. In addition, it renders react-native format for ReactJS. Therefore, one should be very accurate and precise with the concepts of ReactJS to acquire the understanding and principles of React Native. These include props, state, jsx, and components.
React Native changes the react code to make it compatible with iOS and Android platforms. It also aims to provide access to native features of this platform to the developers.
5. Declarative UI
Declarative Ul is a feature that generates a simple view of the application and helps create engaging mobile applications. It enables an interactive user interface for web and mobile applications. ReactJS adequately updates just the right components with the help of this feature to have proper data modification.
This feature enables to make code more readable while also simplifying debugging.
6. Component-based Architecture
From the above features highlighted, it is clear that the architecture of ReactJS is a component-based platform. It is divided into multiple components wherein each component has its unique ability and specific logic.
Component-based architecture proclaims that React is written in JavaScript and not by using a template. So, developers can walk through the application without affecting the DOM.
Component, Props, and State
1. Components
Components are considered as the basic creating blocks of any ReactJS application. To be precise, a single application generally consists of multiple components. It is the most critical piece of the user interface. It helps to separate the UI into reusable and independent parts that can quickly be processed.
Components are classified into two main domains, which are as follows:
Functional Component
Functional components are simply represented by a presentational function. This function takes props and changes a React element to render it to the page. Mostly, whenever possible, it is preferred to use functional components because they are predictable and concise. Furthermore, as it is purely presentational, the output is always the same as the props.
The functional component is also referred to as stateless, presentational, and dumb. All these names are obtained from the nature that functional components take on:
Stateless, as they do not hold or manage state.
Presentational, as the all put output as UI element.
Functional, as they are basic functions and nothing else.
Example of functional component:
const Greeting = () => <h1>Hi, I’m a dumb component!</h1>;
Class Component
Class components are built by using ES6 class syntax. Additionally, they have features like the ability to contain logic, local state, and few other capabilities. These components are considered to be a container or stateful and smart:
Class, as they are basically divided into categories.
Stateful, as they can hold and manage local state.
Smart, as they contain logic.
Container, as they contain or hold numerous other components.
Class components have a large markup and are the opposite of functional components. If you use them more than required can affect the performance of the code testability and readability.
The simplest form of class component:
class Greeting extends React.Component {
render(){
return <h1>Hi, I’m a smart component!</h1>;
}
2. Props
Props are enabling components of ReactJS to be dynamic and easily customizable. They are the way to provide data from one computer to the other – it is a unidirectional data flow. Components can accept and return props customized React elements based on the props received.
Props are read-only, components that must never modify the props passed to it. So, for example, the same component should be given as output and input.
3. State
The state is an integral React element which uses contain information or data about the component. Over time the state of the component can be changed; whenever it changes, it leads to the rendering of the component.
The change can happen due to the response of user action or system-generated events. These changes define the component and how it will render.
Wrapping up
React offers plenty of flexibility to developers by simplifying the development process. Thanks to React Native, you can “Learn once, write anywhere.” Thus, once you understand React’s fundamental architecture and principles, you can design fully functional web and mobile applications. The fact that React has an active support community makes it an even more attractive choice for developers – you will always find someone to navigate you through app development challenges.
If you wish to master the nitty-gritty of React and other such trending industry tools, you should definitely check out upGrad’s Software Technology courses. upGrad promises overall development powered by peer-to-peer learning across a global learner base of 40,000+ students. Apart from a well-structured curriculum, learners enjoy interactive live sessions with top instructors and industry experts.
Read More12 Aug'21
7.15K+
Python Append Function: Why, What?(With Examples)
Python is a vast programming language with numerous applications and libraries. No wonder it is the most popular and widely used programming language by developers globally. What makes it a versatile language are its English-like syntax and the extensive range of functionalities that accompany it.
One of those functions is the Python append function, which we’ll talk about today. You’ll learn what the append function is, why it’s so important, and what makes it unique. Learn data science to know more about various python functions.
Why is the Python append function important?
The append function plays a crucial role in Python when you are working with lists. To understand how it works, you must know why it’s so important and get familiar with the objects it interacts with.
We use the Python append function with lists. They are pretty similar to the arrays and don’t necessarily have to be of the same data type. That’s why lists are among the most popular and robust tools in Python. The primary difference between lists and arrays lies in the former’s ability to use multiple data types.
A list can have integers, strings, and other lists in itself, and that’s not possible with arrays. Moreover, lists are mutable. In other words, you can modify a list even after you have created it.
Python lists are indexed and have a definite count during the initialization process. The system indexes the elements present in a list according to a fixed sequence. The indexing process starts with 0 being the first index while the last item’s index is n-1, where n stands for the number of items present in the list.
Every element in a list has an indexed place. This feature allows you to duplicate the elements present in the list as you can repeat an element in the list because both of them would have a different index to distinguish between them. This feature is not present in sets, which is why lists are widely popular in Python implementations.
We create lists in python by utilizing [] brackets. You’d have to use commas to separate the elements present in the list. Here’s an example of a list in Python:
Input:
first_list = [‘upGrad’, ‘is’, ‘fun’]
print first_list
Output:
[‘upGrad’, ‘is’, ‘fun’]
In the above list, the index of the item ‘upGrad’ is 0. You can use the len() function to find the index of a list:
Input:
len(first_list)
Output:
3
Certainly, lists are versatile objects with numerous potential applications.
However, if you wanted to add an item to a list after its creation, what would you do? This is where the Python list append function comes in. Let’s understand that in detail in the next section.
What is the Python append function?
The append function adds its argument to a list. More precisely, it adds a single element to the end of a specific list and increases the length of the same by one.
The append function allows you to add an item to the end of the list. It adds the element regardless of its data type. Hence, you can add a string, number, or even another list to the end of the particular list by using this function.
The syntax of this function is: list_name.append(element)
The input parameter of the append function is one item, and it would add it to the end of a particular list. Also, because it only adds an item to an existing list, it doesn’t have any return value.
Examples of Python list append
Here are a few examples of how we use the Python list append function with different data types:
1. Adding a number to a list with append function
Here’s how we add a number to a list by using this function:
Input:
# create a list of strings
first_list = [‘upGrad’, ‘is’, ‘fun’]
# add an integer item to first_list
first_list.append(1)
# print the new list
print(first_list)
Output:
[‘upGrad’, ‘is’, ‘fun’, ‘1’]
2. Adding a string to a list with append function
You can also use the append function to add a string to a list:
Input:
# create a list of strings
first_list = [‘upGrad’, ‘is’]
# add a string item to first_list
first_list.append(‘fun’)
# print the new list
print(first_list)
Output:
[‘upGrad’, ‘is’, ‘fun’]
3. Adding a list to a list with append function
The append function can add a list to another list as an element:
Input:
# create a list of strings
# and another list to append to the first one
first_list = [‘upGrad’, ‘is’, ‘fun’]
second_list = [1, 2, 3, 4]
# append second_list to first_list
first_list.append(second_list)
# print the new list
print(first_list)
Output:
[‘upGrad’, ‘is’, ‘fun’, [1, 2, 3, 4]]
Append vs. extend functions
A common point of confusion among Python beginners is about the difference between the append function and the extend function. Both of them extend the length of a list however the main difference lies in the number of elements they add to a list at a time.
The append function adds one item to the end of a list. On the other hand, the extend function iterates over the argument and adds every element of its list to the specific list. With the append function, the index of a list increases by one but with the extend function, it increases by the number of elements present in the function’s argument.
The append function works with various data types, but the extend function works with lists only. Here’s a pair of examples to explain their difference better. In the first case, we will use the extend function with first_list and second_list, while in the second case, we’ll apply the append function:
Input:
# We’ll use the extend function
# each element of the iterable will be appended
# to first_list
first_list = [‘upGrad’, ‘is’]
second_list = [1, 2, 3, 4]
first_list.extend(second_list)
print first_list
Output:
[‘upgrad’, ‘is’, 1, 2, 3, 4]
Input:
# Here, we’ll use the append function
# the list will be added as an element
# to first_list
first_list = [‘upGrad’, ‘is’]
second_list = [1, 2, 3, 4]
first_list.append(second_list)
print first_list
Output:
[‘upGrad’, ‘is’, [1, 2, 3, 4]]
As you can see, the extend function added the elements present in second_list to first_list, and every item present in second_list became the element of first_list. On the other hand, the append function added second_list as an element to first_list.
With the extend function, the length of first_list increased by four elements. However, the append function increased the length of first_list only by one.
This is the primary difference between the Python append function and the extend function.
Become an expert in Python and related technologies
The append function is one of the many functionalities present in Python. If you’re interested in becoming a Python expert, you’d need to familiarize yourself with the various functions and objects it works with. There are many applications of this programming language as it houses one of the largest collections of libraries and frameworks. Numpy, Scipy, and OpenCV are some of the most popular Python libraries.
For example, if you pursue a career in machine learning and artificial intelligence, then you’ll enjoy using OpenCV Keras and Scikit-learn. On the other hand, if you’re a data science professional, then you’d need to learn in detail about Numpy, Scipy, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, Pandas, and several other libraries.
At upGrad, we offer multiple programs to help you become an expert in this programming language and your desired tech field. If you want to become an expert in Python and use this robust language to solve business problems and drive your career, then we recommend checking out our Master of Science in Computer Science program we offer in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University.
It’s an online degree course that lasts for 19 months and only requires a time commitment of 15 hours a week. The program teaches you the in-demand skills of the software development field and certifies you as an expert.
More about the course:
The Master of Science in Computer Science program offers you 500+ learning hours and gives you the alumni status of Liverpool John Moores University and International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore.
You’ll be joining a learner base of more than 40,000 students in over 85 countries across the globe. The program allows you to network globally and boost your professional growth.
The MSc program offers six unique specializations:
Full-stack development
Blockchain development
Big data
Cloud computing
DevOps
Cyber Security
If you have a non-tech background, you can join the Software Career Transition Bootcamp for non-tech & new coders. There’ll be fortnightly group mentorship sessions with industry mentors and 30+ projects and assignments, so you can test your knowledge and enhance your understanding of the concepts.
Learn more about the course here: Master of Science in Computer Science.
Conclusion
Today we learned about the Python list append function. The append function allows you to add an item to the end of the list and is quite useful in many situations. We also learned how the append function is different from the extend function.
If you want to learn more about Python and become a tech professional, be sure to check out the course we shared above.
Read Moreby Rohit Sharma
16 Aug'216.62K+
List Comprehension in Python (With Examples)
Python is among the world’s most popular programming languages. In 2020, it ranked second in RedMonk’s ranking of programming language popularity. The reason behind its widespread popularity is its easy-to-understand code and simplicity. Writing code in python is quite simple if you’re familiar with the syntax. One of its unique highlights is its list comprehension feature. You can perform Python comprehension for lists by writing just one line of code!
The following points will illustrate what list comprehension is and how you can use it in different settings. We will also cover the differences present between list comprehension and for loops, which can be quite confusing. You’ll also learn about other related functions and how to use them:
What is list comprehension Python?
Python offers multiple ways to create lists. One of the most effective ways among them is the list comprehension feature. It allows you to create lists by writing a single line of code.
You can use list comprehensions to create new lists from other iterable elements such as arrays, strings, tuples, lists, etc. It is made up of brackets with the expression. The system executes the expression for every element with the for loop to iterate over every element.
The syntax for list comprehension in Python is as follows:
your_new_list = [expression for element in your_old_list if condition]
Here, your_new_list is the new list (or the result). The expression depends on the variable you used for every element in your_old_list. Finally, the “if condition” is the filter.
There are many reasons why Python developers prefer list comprehension over loops. The main reason is efficiency. You can create a list with far less effort and code when using list comprehension than you would while using loops
As it takes fewer lines of code than loops, list comprehension also saves you a lot of time. It keeps the code simple and makes it more user-friendly. Moreover, list comprehension covers an iterative statement into a formula. If you want to gain more expertise on python, check out our data science programs from top universities.
List comprehension Python examples
We are sharing several examples of how you can use list comprehension in Python. It would be best to study them and replicate them in your own program after you have understood how they work. It would help you understand properly how effective of a tool list comprehension truly is:
Example 1:
In this example, we’ll create a simple list by using Python comprehension:
Input:
a = [i for i in range(5)]
print a
Output:
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
Example 2:
In the example below, we’ll create a list with multiples of two:
Input:
new_list = [a*2 for a in range(10)]
Output
[0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18]
Example 3
You can multiply every item in a list by using list comprehension:
Input
old_list = [1, 2, 3]
new_list = [item*2 for item in old_list]
print new_list
Output
[2, 4, 6]
Example 4
List comprehension isn’t limited to integers alone, you can also use it with strings. In this example, we’ll use list comprehension to create a list of the first letter of every word in our original list
Input:
my_list = [“upgrad”, “is”, “fun”]
result = [word[0] for word in my_list]
print result
Output
[‘u’, ‘i’, ‘f’]
Example 5
You can also extract numbers from a string by using list comprehension
Input:
old_list = “upGrad 123 is fun”
new_list = [x for x in string if x.isdigit()]
print new_list
Output:
[‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’]
Example 6:
You can also use list comprehension with functions, which are a vital part of mathematical implementations of Python:
Input
# first, we’ll create a function called triple
def triple(x
return x*3
# now you have a working function that prints a result if you enter a valid value
>>> print triple(2)
Output:
6
Now you can use list comprehension with this function to create more lists
Input:
>>> [triple(x) for x in range(5)]
print triple
Output:
[0, 3, 6, 9, 12]
Difference between list comprehension and for loop
A common way to iterate through a list is by using the for loop. However, list comprehension is a more efficient method to iterate through a list as it lets you perform the task with fewer lines of code.
Here’s an example to illustrate the difference. We’ll start with an empty list and modify it to make it a list of even numbers:
Input
# creating the empty list
old_list = []
# using the for loop to create the new list
for x in range(5):
old_list.append(x*2)
print old_list
Output:
[0, 2, 4, 6, 8]
As you can see, the for loop requires you to use the append function to create the new list. You also had to create an empty list first so you can use the loop to modify the same. However, with list comprehension, you wouldn’t have to use another function as you can complete the task with a single line of code:
Input:
# creating the set by using list comprehension
old_list = [x*2 for x in range(5)]
print old_list
Output:
[0, 2, 4, 6, 8]
As list comprehension takes up less space and code, it also requires less computation power than using a for loop. This is beneficial while working on large programs as efficiency becomes a key issue when the code is substantially long.
However, when you’re using list comprehension, you should avoid using ones that are excessively long in one line. Otherwise, the code wouldn’t remain user-friendly and it can be quite challenging to share your work with other developers. Keep in mind that you rewrite every list comprehension into a for loop but you can’t rewrite every for loop into a list comprehension.
List comprehension is one of the many Python comprehension functionalities present in this programming language. Another comprehension functionality that’s highly popular is dictionary comprehension:
What is dictionary comprehension in Python?
Dictionary comprehension, as the name suggests, allows you to create dictionaries in Python. The syntax of a dictionary comprehension is:
{k:v for (k,v) in iterable}
Here, k stands for key and v stands for value.
Let’s see it at work. In the following example, we’ll create two lists and use dictionary comprehension to generate a dictionary from them:
Input:
# using Python to showcase dictionary comprehension
# creating two lists to represent keys and values
keys = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
values = [‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’ ‘d’, ‘e’]
# implementing dictionary comprehension
new_dict = { k:v for (k,v) in zip(keys, values)}
print new_dict
Output:
{1 : ‘a’, 2 : ‘b’, 3 : ‘c’, 4 : ‘d’. 5 : ‘e’}
Dictionary comprehension makes it quite easy to create dictionaries in Python. However, you can also use list comprehension to generate a dictionary. In the following example, we’ll use list comprehension and create a dictionary:
Input:
new_dict = {x: x*2 for x in [5, 4, 3, 2, 1]}
print new_dict
Output:
{5 : 10, 4 : 8, 3 : 6, 2 : 4, 1 : 2}
Become a Python Expert
List comprehension is one of the many functionalities present in Python. It is a highly versatile and useful programming language. Moreover, the syntax of Python is also very easy to understand and takes quite a little effort to get used to. Apart from these benefits, Python also offers numerous libraries to its users.
It has a thriving community of developers and programmers who add new libraries to its collection regularly. The numerous libraries and functions available for Python make it useful in different sectors such as software development, data science, machine learning, and others.
If you’re interested in learning Python, you should learn it in the context of the field you want to enter. Also, recruiters always look for certified professionals in this field because it assures them of the candidate’s expertise.
Due to these reasons, it would be best to join a python course if you’re interested in pursuing a career with this skill. The International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore offers an Executive PG Program in Software Development with upGrad which is perfect for those who want to become experts in this programming language and pursue a tech career. The course will give you a well-structured way to study Python and other trending technologies to help you enter the industry as a job-ready professional.
upGrad has over 40,000 paid learners in 85+ countries. Joining this program will also allow you to network internationally through upGrad’s vast learner base. The Executive PG Program in Software Development course is an online program that lasts for 13 months. It only requires a time commitment of 15 hours a week.
The program offers six specializations to choose from
Cybersecurity
DevOps
Cloud computing
Big data
Blockchain development
Full-stack development
Along with these advantages, upGrad also offers 360-degree career assistance with this program so you can kickstart your career easily. You can learn more about the course here: Executive PG Program in Software Development.
Conclusion
You can try out list comprehension with simple lists at first and then move onto more complex applications of this functionality. List comprehension is an example of how flexible and robust Python programming is.
What do you think of list comprehension? How would you use it in your program?
Read Moreby Rohit Sharma
22 Aug'21