


How can you implement custom iterators in Python using __iter__ and __next__?
Jun 19, 2025 am 01:12 AMTo implement a custom iterator, you need to define the __iter__ and __next__ methods in the class. ① The __iter__ method returns the iterator object itself, usually self, to be compatible with iterative environments such as for loops; ② The __next__ method controls the value of each iteration, returns the next element in the sequence, and when there are no more items, StopIteration exception should be thrown; ③ The status must be tracked correctly and the termination conditions must be set to avoid infinite loops; ④ Complex logic such as file line filtering can be encapsulated, and resource cleaning and memory management can be paid attention to; ⑤ For simple logic, you can consider using the generator function yield instead, but you need to choose a suitable method based on the specific scenario.
To implement custom iterators in Python, you need to define both __iter__
and __next__
methods in your class. These two special methods allow your object to be iterable and control how the iteration behaves step by step.
Understanding __iter__
and __next__
The __iter__
method should return the iterator object itself — usually self
. This is what makes your object compatible with for-loops and other iteration contexts.
The __next__
method defines what happens each time the next item is requested. It should return the next value in the sequence or raise StopIteration
when there are no more items to return.
If you don't raise StopIteration
at the end of your sequence, your iterator will keep running indefinitely, which can cause problems like infinite loops.
Creating a Simple Custom Iterator
Let's say you want to create an iterator that goes through a range of numbers but skips every second number.
class SkipEvenIterator: def __init__(self, max_value): self.current = 0 self.max_value = max_value def __iter__(self): Return self def __next__(self): if self.current > self.max_value: raise StopIteration result = self.current self.current = 2 return result
Now you can use this in a loop:
for num in SkipEvenIterator(10): print(num)
This would output: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
A few things to remember:
- Your
__next__
method must track state correctly. - Always include a stopping condition to avoid infinite loops.
- You can store any kind of state inside your object — integers, strings, even other objects.
Handling More Complex Iteration Logic
Sometimes you might not just want to iterate over numbers. For example, imagine iterating over lines in a file that match a certain pattern.
In these cases, your __iter__
could open a file or prepare a data source, and __next__
processes it line by line or item by item.
Here's a simplified version:
class GrepLikeIterator: def __init__(self, filename, keyword): self.filename = filename self.keyword = keyword self.file = None self.line = None def __iter__(self): self.file = open(self.filename, 'r') Return self def __next__(self): While True: line = self.file.readline() if not line: self.file.close() raise StopIteration if self.keyword in line: return line.strip()
This lets you do something like:
for line in GrepLikeIterator('data.txt', 'error'): print(line)
Just make sure:
- You properly handle resource cleanup (like closing files).
- Avoid loading large datasets into memory all at once.
- Make sure your logic doesn't accidentally skip values ??or repeat them unintentionally.
When to Use Generators Instead
While implementing __iter__
and __next__
gives you full control, sometimes using a generator function with yield
is simpler and cleaner. If your iteration logic isn't too complex, consider writing a generator instead.
For example:
def skip_even_generator(max_value): current = 0 While current <= max_value: yield current current = 2
You can still use this in a for-loop, and Python handles the state automatically.
But if you need to encapsulate state and behavior together — especially when combining with other object-oriented features — defining a custom iterator class is the right approach.
So yeah, implementing custom iterators in Python means writing classes with __iter__
and __next__
, handling state yourself, and making sure to stop cleanly. Not too hard once you get the hang of it, but definitely easy to mess up small details like forgetting to raise StopIteration
.
The above is the detailed content of How can you implement custom iterators in Python using __iter__ and __next__?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

Hot AI Tools

Undress AI Tool
Undress images for free

Undresser.AI Undress
AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos

AI Clothes Remover
Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.

Clothoff.io
AI clothes remover

Video Face Swap
Swap faces in any video effortlessly with our completely free AI face swap tool!

Hot Article

Hot Tools

Notepad++7.3.1
Easy-to-use and free code editor

SublimeText3 Chinese version
Chinese version, very easy to use

Zend Studio 13.0.1
Powerful PHP integrated development environment

Dreamweaver CS6
Visual web development tools

SublimeText3 Mac version
God-level code editing software (SublimeText3)

Hot Topics

Polymorphism is a core concept in Python object-oriented programming, referring to "one interface, multiple implementations", allowing for unified processing of different types of objects. 1. Polymorphism is implemented through method rewriting. Subclasses can redefine parent class methods. For example, the spoke() method of Animal class has different implementations in Dog and Cat subclasses. 2. The practical uses of polymorphism include simplifying the code structure and enhancing scalability, such as calling the draw() method uniformly in the graphical drawing program, or handling the common behavior of different characters in game development. 3. Python implementation polymorphism needs to satisfy: the parent class defines a method, and the child class overrides the method, but does not require inheritance of the same parent class. As long as the object implements the same method, this is called the "duck type". 4. Things to note include the maintenance

The digital asset market attracts global attention with its high volatility. In this environment, how to steadily capture returns has become the goal pursued by countless participants. Quantitative trading, with its dependence on data and algorithm-driven characteristics, is becoming a powerful tool to deal with market challenges. Especially in 2025, this time node full of infinite possibilities is combined with the powerful programming language Python to build an automated "brick-moving" strategy, that is, to use the tiny price spreads between different trading platforms for arbitrage, which is considered a potential way to achieve efficient and stable profits.

A class method is a method defined in Python through the @classmethod decorator. Its first parameter is the class itself (cls), which is used to access or modify the class state. It can be called through a class or instance, which affects the entire class rather than a specific instance; for example, in the Person class, the show_count() method counts the number of objects created; when defining a class method, you need to use the @classmethod decorator and name the first parameter cls, such as the change_var(new_value) method to modify class variables; the class method is different from the instance method (self parameter) and static method (no automatic parameters), and is suitable for factory methods, alternative constructors, and management of class variables. Common uses include:

Golangofferssuperiorperformance,nativeconcurrencyviagoroutines,andefficientresourceusage,makingitidealforhigh-traffic,low-latencyAPIs;2.Python,whileslowerduetointerpretationandtheGIL,provideseasierdevelopment,arichecosystem,andisbettersuitedforI/O-bo

Parameters are placeholders when defining a function, while arguments are specific values ??passed in when calling. 1. Position parameters need to be passed in order, and incorrect order will lead to errors in the result; 2. Keyword parameters are specified by parameter names, which can change the order and improve readability; 3. Default parameter values ??are assigned when defined to avoid duplicate code, but variable objects should be avoided as default values; 4. args and *kwargs can handle uncertain number of parameters and are suitable for general interfaces or decorators, but should be used with caution to maintain readability.

TointegrateGolangserviceswithexistingPythoninfrastructure,useRESTAPIsorgRPCforinter-servicecommunication,allowingGoandPythonappstointeractseamlesslythroughstandardizedprotocols.1.UseRESTAPIs(viaframeworkslikeGininGoandFlaskinPython)orgRPC(withProtoco

Iterators are objects that implement __iter__() and __next__() methods. The generator is a simplified version of iterators, which automatically implement these methods through the yield keyword. 1. The iterator returns an element every time he calls next() and throws a StopIteration exception when there are no more elements. 2. The generator uses function definition to generate data on demand, saving memory and supporting infinite sequences. 3. Use iterators when processing existing sets, use a generator when dynamically generating big data or lazy evaluation, such as loading line by line when reading large files. Note: Iterable objects such as lists are not iterators. They need to be recreated after the iterator reaches its end, and the generator can only traverse it once.

Python's garbage collection mechanism automatically manages memory through reference counting and periodic garbage collection. Its core method is reference counting, which immediately releases memory when the number of references of an object is zero; but it cannot handle circular references, so a garbage collection module (gc) is introduced to detect and clean the loop. Garbage collection is usually triggered when the reference count decreases during program operation, the allocation and release difference exceeds the threshold, or when gc.collect() is called manually. Users can turn off automatic recycling through gc.disable(), manually execute gc.collect(), and adjust thresholds to achieve control through gc.set_threshold(). Not all objects participate in loop recycling. If objects that do not contain references are processed by reference counting, it is built-in
