Which method would you use to copy a dictionary in Python?

Which method would you use to copy a dictionary in Python?

• A. copy()
• B. duplicate()
• C. clone()
• D. replicate()

Answer: (A)

The method to copy a dictionary in Python is the `copy()` method. This method creates a shallow copy of the dictionary, meaning it creates a new dictionary with the same key-value pairs as the original dictionary. This allows you to work with a separate instance of the dictionary, modifying or deleting items from the copied dictionary without affecting the original one. Using `copy()` is straightforward and effective for cases where the dictionary contains immutable objects or when you only need a shallow copy. If the dictionary contains nested mutable objects (like lists or other dictionaries), both the original and copied dictionary will reference the same nested objects, which might require additional handling if deep copying is needed. The incorrect options reflect methods that do not exist in the context of Python dictionaries. `duplicate()`, `clone()`, and `replicate()` are not built-in methods for dictionary objects, which makes them unsuitable for this task.

The method to copy a dictionary in Python is the copy() method. This method creates a shallow copy of the dictionary, meaning it creates a new dictionary with the same key-value pairs as the original dictionary. This allows you to work with a separate instance of the dictionary, modifying or deleting items from the copied dictionary without affecting the original one.

Using copy() is straightforward and effective for cases where the dictionary contains immutable objects or when you only need a shallow copy. If the dictionary contains nested mutable objects (like lists or other dictionaries), both the original and copied dictionary will reference the same nested objects, which might require additional handling if deep copying is needed.

The incorrect options reflect methods that do not exist in the context of Python dictionaries. duplicate(), clone(), and replicate() are not built-in methods for dictionary objects, which makes them unsuitable for this task.