{"id":7239,"date":"2020-07-22T12:05:44","date_gmt":"2020-07-22T12:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.askpython.com\/?p=7239"},"modified":"2022-08-06T13:15:00","modified_gmt":"2022-08-06T13:15:00","slug":"python-copy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.askpython.com\/python-modules\/python-copy","title":{"rendered":"Python Copy – Perform Deep and Shallow Copy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this article, we’ll be looking at using the Python Copy<\/em> module, to perform deep and shallow copy operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, what do we mean by deep copy and shallow copy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take a look, using illustrative examples!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why do we need the Python Copy module?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Python, everything is represented using objects. Therefore, in a lot of cases, we may need to copy objects directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these cases, we cannot use the assignment operator directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The point behind assignment is that multiple variables can point to the same object. This means that if the object changes using any of those variables, changes will be reflected everywhere!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following example illustrates this problem, using a shared list object<\/a>, which is mutable.<\/p>\n\n\n

\na = [1, 2, 3, 4]\n\nb = a\n\nprint(a)\nprint(b)\n\nb.append(5)\n\n# Changes will be reflected in a too!\nprint(a)\nprint(b)\n<\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n
Output<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
\n[1, 2, 3, 4]\n[1, 2, 3, 4]\n[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]\n[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]\n<\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n
As you can see, since both variables point to the same object, when b<\/code> changes, so does a<\/code>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To deal with this issue, Python gives us a way using the Copy<\/em> module.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Python copy module is a part of the standard library, and can be imported using the below statement:<\/p>\n\n\n
\nimport copy\n<\/pre><\/div>\n\n\n
Now, in this module, we can perform two types of operations mainly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n