Python

Iterators & Generators

Master memory-efficient iteration. Learn custom iterators, generator functions with yield, and itertools.

By TechCoder TeamLast updated: 2026-06-02
In a Nutshell

Master memory-efficient iteration. Learn custom iterators, generator functions with yield, and itertools. This hands-on tutorial focuses on practical implementation of iterators & generators concepts.

Iterators & Generators

Iterators and Generators let you work with sequences of data efficiently, without loading everything into memory.

The Iterator Protocol

An iterator is an object that implements two methods:

  • __iter__() - returns the iterator object
  • __next__() - returns the next item
PYTHON PLAYGROUND
⏳ Loading editor…

Custom Iterator

PYTHON PLAYGROUND
⏳ Loading editor…

Generator Functions with yield

Generators are a simpler way to create iterators using the yield keyword.

PYTHON PLAYGROUND
⏳ Loading editor…

Memory Efficiency: List vs Generator

PYTHON PLAYGROUND
⏳ Loading editor…

Generator Expressions

PYTHON PLAYGROUND
⏳ Loading editor…

Practical Example: File Processing

PYTHON PLAYGROUND
⏳ Loading editor…

itertools Module 🛠️

Python's itertools provides powerful iterator building blocks.

PYTHON PLAYGROUND
⏳ Loading editor…

Fibonacci Generator

PYTHON PLAYGROUND
⏳ Loading editor…

Coding Challenge: Data Pipeline 🔄

PYTHON PLAYGROUND
⏳ Loading editor…

AI Mentor

Confused about "Python iterators generators yield itertools"? Ask our AI mentor for a simplified explanation.

Quiz

Quiz

Question 1 of 5

What does yield do?

Returns a value and exits the function
Returns a value and pauses the function
Creates a list
Raises an exception

Key Takeaways

Iterators implement __iter__() and __next__().
Generators use yield for simpler iteration.
Generator expressions () are memory-efficient.
itertools provides powerful iterator tools.
✅ Generators are lazy - compute values on demand.

What's Next?

In the final lesson of this module, we'll learn about Testing with pytest - writing tests to ensure code quality.

Keep coding! 🚀