The copy() method returns a shallow copy of the set in python. If we use “=” to copy a set to another set, when we modify in the copied set, the changes are also reflected in the original set. So we have to create a shallow copy of the set such that when we modify something in the copied set, changes are not reflected back in the original set. Syntax:
set_name.copy()
set_name: Name of the set whose copy
we want to generate.
Parameters:The copy() method for sets doesn’t take any parameters. Return value:The function returns a shallow copy of the original set. Below is the implementation of the above function:
Python3
# Python3 program to demonstrate the use# of join() functionset1 = {1, 2, 3, 4}# function to copy the setset2 = set1.copy()# prints the copied setprint(set2) |
Output:
{1, 2, 3, 4}
Time complexity : O(1),
space complexity: O(n)
Shallow Copy Example :
Python
# Python program to demonstrate that copy# created using set copy is shallowfirst = {'g', 'e', 'e', 'k', 's'}second = first.copy()# before addingprint 'before adding: 'print 'first: ',firstprint 'second: ', second# Adding element to second, first does not# change.second.add('f')# after addingprint 'after adding: 'print 'first: ', firstprint 'second: ', second |
Output:
before adding: first: set(['s', 'e', 'k', 'g']) second: set(['s', 'e', 'k', 'g']) after adding: first: set(['s', 'e', 'k', 'g']) second: set(['s', 'e', 'k', 'g', 'f'])
Time complexity : O(1)
space complexity: O(n)
