Python | Passing dictionary as keyword arguments

Many times while working with Python dictionaries, due to advent of OOP Paradigm, Modularity is focussed in different facets of programming. Hence there can be many use cases in which we require to pass a dictionary as argument to a function. But this required the unpacking of dictionary keys as arguments and it’s values as argument values. Let’s discuss a method in which this can be performed. Method : Using ** ( splat ) operator This operator is used to unpack a dictionary, and while passing in a function this can possibly unpack a dictionary and achieve the required task of mapping the keys to arguments and it’s values to argument values. 

Python3

# Python3 code to demonstrate working of
# Passing dictionary as keyword arguments
# Using ** ( splat ) operator

# Helper function to demo this task
def test_func(a = 4, b = 5):
    print("The value of a is : " + str(a))
    print("The value of b is : " + str(b))

# initializing dictionary
test_dict = {'a' : 1, 'b' : 2}

# printing original dictionary
print("The original dictionary is : " + str(test_dict))

# Testing with default values
print("The default function call yields : ")
test_func()

print("\r")

# Passing dictionary as keyword arguments
# Using ** ( splat ) operator
print("The function values with splat operator unpacking : ")
test_func(**test_dict)

Time Complexity: O(1)

Space Complexity: O(n) -> n = number of key-value pairs

Output : 

The original dictionary is : {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
The default function call yields : 
The value of a is : 4
The value of b is : 5

The function values with splat operator unpacking : 
The value of a is : 1
The value of b is : 2

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