Dictionaries in Python are versatile data structures that allow you to store and manipulate key-value pairs. If you want to print just the keys of a dictionary, Python provides several ways to achieve this. In this article, we’ll explore different methods to print dictionary keys in Python.

What is Keys in Dictionary?

In Python, a dictionary is a collection of key-value pairs. Each key in a dictionary must be unique, and is associated with a specific value. The keys serve as identifiers, allowing you to access the corresponding values efficiently.

Here’s an example of a dictionary with keys and values:

Input : person_info = {
                 'name': 'John',
                 'age': 30,
                 'city': 'New York',
                'occupation': 'Engineer'
}
Output:  Name: John
               Age: 30
               City: New York
               Occupation: Engineer

How to Print Dictionary Keys in Python?

Below, are the methods of How to Print Dictionary Keys in Python.

• Using keys() Method
• Iterating Through Dictionary
• Using List Comprehension

Print Dictionary Keys in Python Using keys() Method

The keys() method returns a view object that displays a list of all the keys in a dictionary. You can convert this view object to a list or iterate over it directly to print the keys. In this example, we first convert the keys view object to a list using list(). You can also iterate directly over the keys view without converting it to a list.

Python3

# Example dictionary
sample_dict = {'name': 'John', 'age': 25, 'city': 'New York'}

# Using the keys() method
keys_list = list(sample_dict.keys())

# Printing the keys
print("Method 1 - Using keys() method:")
print(keys_list)

Output

Method 1 - Using keys() method:
['name', 'age', 'city']

Print Dictionary Keys in Python Iterating Through Dictionary

You can iterate through the dictionary directly using a for loop and print each key individually. This method is straightforward and concise, making it a popular choice for printing dictionary keys.

Python3

# Example dictionary
sample_dict = {'name': 'John', 'age': 25, 'city': 'New York'}

# Iterating through the dictionary and printing keys
print("Method 2 - Iterating through the dictionary:")
for key in sample_dict:
    print(key)

Output

Method 2 - Iterating through the dictionary:
name
age
city

Print Dictionary Keys in Python Using List Comprehension

List comprehension is a concise way to create lists in Python. You can use list comprehension to create a list of keys. List comprehension provides a more compact syntax for creating lists, and it can be a convenient way to extract keys from a dictionary.

Python3

# Example dictionary
sample_dict = {'name': 'John', 'age': 25, 'city': 'New York'}

# Using list comprehension
keys_list = [key for key in sample_dict]

# Printing the keys
print("Method 3 - Using list comprehension:")
print(keys_list)

Output

Method 3 - Using list comprehension:
['name', 'age', 'city']

Conclusion

Printing dictionary keys in Python is a common operation when working with dictionaries. Depending on your preference and specific use case, you can choose the method that best fits your needs. Whether it’s using the keys() method, iterating through the dictionary, employing list comprehension, or working directly with the dict_keys type, Python offers multiple approaches to achieve the desired result