Accessing & Changing Dictionary Values

(a.k.a. Editing Your Game Stats Like a Developer With Admin Powers)

You’ve created your first dictionary.

Great.

Now it’s time to reach inside, grab the data you want, and change it like you’re updating a character sheet in a role-playing game.

Dictionaries store information in key–value pairs, which means you access values using their keys, not indexes.

Let’s dive in.

1. Accessing Values (a.k.a. “Show me the stats!”)

Here’s a dictionary:

potion = {
    "type": "Health Potion",
    "heal": 25,
    "rarity": "Uncommon"
}

#To access values, you use the key inside square brackets (Do NOT type this line in the codes):

print(potion["type"])
print(potion["heal"])
print(potion["rarity"])

Clean. Direct. No guessing.

2. Changing Values (a.k.a. Upgrading Your Gear Without Asking Permission)

Let’s say your potion needs a buff.

Just assign a new value to the key:

potion = {
    "type": "Health Potion",
    "heal": 25,
    "rarity": "Uncommon"
}

potion["heal"] = 40
potion["rarity"] = "Rare"

#Now print again (Do NOT type this line in the codes)


print(potion["heal"])
print(potion["rarity"])

Your potion just got a promotion.

3. Adding New Key–Value Pairs (a.k.a. Giving Your Item More Personality)

You can add new information anytime:

potion = {
    "type": "Health Potion",
    "heal": 25
}

potion["price"] = 15

# Print it:

print(potion["price"])

Your potion now has an economy degree.

4. Removing Keys (a.k.a. Cleaning Up Your Data Closet)

potion = {
    "type": "Health Potion",
    "heal": 40,
    "rarity": "Rare"
}

del potion["rarity"]

#Now print the whole dictionary:

print(potion)

Rarity? Never heard of her.

Mini-Challenge #2

Create a dictionary called enemy with:

• name
• health
• attack

Increase the enemy’s attack by 5 and print the new value.