Match Notes

match-notes
September 13, 2023
1 Match (Structural Pattern Matching in Python )

1.0.1 Introduction
• It is similar to switch case in C or java but more powerful
• It can match patterns than just direct match
• It supports traditional matching to a number, string, value
• In single ‘case’ supports use of OR (|) operator to select one of the given patterns
• In ‘case’ it allows to capture input pattern in a variable. This variable can be further used in
the program
• In ‘case’ pattern captured in variable, then it can have guard condition (if condition) for error
checking
• Pattern containing multiple values like lists , tuple ,etc can be matched
• Pattern with multiple values can have variable number of values and ‘case’ can extract only
relevent values from the complete values coming in the pattern
• Patterns of custom objects can be matched
• Patterns of dictionary type can also be matched here
• Limitation : Match doesn’t support set based patterns
We will discuss each point in details
1.0.2 Similarity of match and switch case

• Syntax of mtach statement is much similar to switch case
• It has ‘match’ and ‘case’ keywords
• There is no need of ‘break’ inside match
• It has optional case with wildcard (case _:). This case can match any pattern. It should be
kept at the end.
Syntax
[ ]: match <input_pattern>:
case <pattern1>:
<statements>
case <pattern2>:
<statements>
case _: # Wildcard case
<statements>
1
Example
[ ]: match num:
case 1:
print("One")
case 2:
print("two")
case _:
print("Anything else than 1 and 2")
1.0.3 match supports traditional matching to a number, string, value

• In match simplest pattern can be of single integer , float, or string like traditional switch case
in C or java
Example
[ ]: match operation:
case "add":
print("Adding two numbers")
case "sub":
print("Subtracting two numbers")
case "mult":
print("Multiplying two numbers")
case "div":
print("Dividing two numbers")
1.0.4 Single case with OR (|)

• In match single case can check multiple patterns using OR (|). Any one of the pattern matched
then that case will be executed
Example
[ ]: match age:
case "kid":
print("Be dependent full time")
case "young" | "adult":
print("Be independent with dependence")
case "old":
print("Again dependent!")
1.0.5 Pattern containing multiple values like lists , tuple ,etc can be matched
• Match allows sequences to be taken as a pattern
• Sequence in python can be list ( like array), tuple, set, dictionary
• Each case can have different type and number of input values to be matched
• NOTE: if case has fixed values then order of values needs to be maintained!
2
Example
[ ]: itemid_list=[101,105]
match itemid_list:
case [101,105,110]:
print("Three ids discounted order")
case [101,105]:
print("Two ids Discounted order")
case _:
print("Everything else")
1.0.6 Capture input pattern in a variable

• Case can capture part of pattern in a variable
• For pattern with multiple values, multiple variables can be used
• Its like unpacking of sequence to variables ( will be explained in further topics of list and
tuples)
Example
[ ]: # vals=[0,90]
# vals=[23,0]
# vals=[90,40]
vals=[1,255,30]
# vals=[1,2,3,4,5,6]
match vals:
case [0,num2]:
print("First num is 0")
case [num1,0]:
print("Second num is 0")
case [num1, num2]:
print("Calculator Addition ", num1+num2)
case num1,num2,num3: # <-- Observe square brakets NOT given, still Works!
if (num1 < num2 < num3):
print(num3, " is highest")
if (num1 > num2 > num3):
if (num1 < num2 > num3):
case _:
print("Menu: 2 numbers then calculation , 3 numbers then find the highest")
Another example (from the documentation)
[ ]: # point is an (x, y) tuple

point=(0,0)
# point=(0,5)
# point=(90,0)
3
# point=(99,34)
match point:
case (0, 0):
print("Origin")
case (0, y):
print("Y=",y)
case (x, 0):
print("X=",x)
case (x, y):
print("X=",x, "Y=",y)
case _:
raise ValueError("Not a point")
1.0.7 Guard condition (if condition) for error checking

• When pattern is captured in one or more variables then we can use guard condition
• Gaurd condition means if condition
• When this condition is true ONLY then case is executed else execution goes to the next case
[ ]: # number="9890717884"
number="12.12.10.10"
match number:
case mob if (len(mob) == 10) and mob.isdigit():
print("Valid mobile no, without country code")
case mob if(len(mob) == 13) and mob[0] =='+' and mob[1:].isdigit():
print("Valid mobile no, with country code")
case ip if (len(ip)>=7)and (ip.count(".") ==3):
print("number is similar to an ip address")
case _:
print("Enter valid mobile no or ip address!")
1.0.8 ‘case’ can extract relevent values from the complete values coming in the pattern
• When sequence like list,tuple, etc is passed then relevant values can be extracted and other
values can be captured as extra
• relevant values can be – all at starting positions – all at ending positions – few at starting
and few at end positions
Example
[ ]: # message="thank you for your services!"
message="It was nice experience, thank you"
match message.split(): # get list of words from the string
case [w1,w2,*_] if (w1 =='thank') and (w2 =='you'):
print("You are welcome!, we would be happy to help futher")
case [*_,w1,w2] if (w1 =='thank') and (w2 =='you'):
print("You are welcome!, we would be happy to help futher")
case _:
4
print("we would be happy to help futher, thank you")
1.0.9 match can be used to identify type of object and find right case for it
• match can work to ientify type and according perform operation
Example
Given list of values, Take one value from list at a time if value is integer or float then add it to
total, if value is string then concat to name , else print message cannot handle value
[ ]: vals=[1,2.1,'i',3,'a',56,'cs',4.4,'d']
total=0
name=""
for value in vals:
match value:
case int() | float():
total +=value
case str():
name += value
print("total is",total)
print("name is ", name)
total is 66.5
name is iacsd
1.0.10 match can be used for custom (user defined) objects

• In python user can create classes and create custom objects -match supports patterns of such
custom objects as well
Example from the documentation
[ ]: class Point:
def __init__(self, x, y):
self.x = x
self.y = y
# point = Point(10,10)
point = Point(10,0)
match point:
case Point(x=0, y=0):
print("Origin")
case Point(x=0, y=y):
print("On Y-axis, Y=",y)
5
case Point(x=x, y=0):
print("On X axis, X=",x)
case Point():
print("Somewhere else in the coordinate system")
case _:
print("Not a point")
On X axis, X= 10
1.0.11 match on patterns in dictionaries

• dictionaries have key value pairs
• match supports when getting data in key value pairs finding relevant keys and their values is
important
• Using dictionary patterns only mensioned key and values will be selected and all other ele-
ments will be neglected for case
• also we can have guard conditions here
Example
[ ]: # user_details={'name':'ravi','address':'pune','age':34}
user_details={'name':'tanvi','address':'mumbai','age':55}
match user_details:
case {'name':n,'age':a} if a > 50:
print("Important user, ",n)
case {'address':'pune'}: # all other field are not considered in comparison
print("User is from pune")
1.0.12 Limitation : Match doesn’t support set based patterns

In pattern set can’t be used. (Documentation doesn’t mension specific reason for this move)
Example ( It gives Syntax Error!!)
[ ]: set_pattern = {1,2,3}
match set_pattern:
case {1,2,3}: # Syntax error On this line!
print("Set {1,2,3} matched!")
2 Further reference
Python Enhancement proposal (PEP 636) https://peps.python.org/pep-0636/
Documentation https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/controlflow.html
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match-notes

September 13, 2023

1 Match (Structural Pattern Matching in Python )

1.0.2 Similarity of match and switch case

1.0.3 match supports traditional matching to a number, string, value

1.0.4 Single case with OR (|)

1.0.6 Capture input pattern in a variable

Another example (from the documentation)

[ ]: # point is an (x, y) tuple

1.0.7 Guard condition (if condition) for error checking

1.0.10 match can be used for custom (user defined) objects

1.0.11 match on patterns in dictionaries

1.0.12 Limitation : Match doesn’t support set based patterns

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