Convert a dictionary into a list of pairs in Python

This post will discuss how to convert a dictionary into a list of (key, value) pairs in Python.

For example, the dictionary {'A': 1, 'B': 2, 'C': 3} should be converted to [('A', 1), ('B', 2), ('C', 3)].

1. Using dict.items() function

The standard solution is to use the built-in function dict.items() to get a view of objects of (key, value) pairs present in the dictionary.

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Since the objects returned by dict.items() are just a dynamic view on the dictionary’s entries, you can use the list constructor to get a list, as shown below:

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2. Using dict.keys() function

Alternatively, you can use the dict.keys() function to construct the list of dictionary’s (key, value) pairs. This can be easily achieved with List Comprehension, as shown below:

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Another way to create the same list is pairs = [(k, v) for (k, v) in d.items()].

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3. Using zip() function

In the Python dictionary, keys and values are iterated over in insertion order. This allows creating (key, value) pairs using zip(), as shown below:

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That’s all about converting a dictionary into a list of pairs in Python.