sum - Python: next() function

Question

I'm learning Python from a book, and I came across this example:

M = [[1,2,3],
     [4,5,6],
     [7,8,9]]

G = (sum(row) for row in M) # create a generator of row sums
next(G) # Run the iteration protocol

Since I'm an absolute beginner, and the author hasn't provided any explanation of the example or the next() function, I don't understand what the code is doing.

Answer 1

The expression (sum(row) for row in M) creates what's called a generator. This generator will evaluate the expression (sum(row)) once for each row in M. However, the generator doesn't do anything yet, we've just set it up.

The statement next(G) actually runs the generator on M. So, if you run next(G) once, you'll get the sum of the first row. If you run it again, you'll get the sum of the second row, and so on.

>>> M = [[1,2,3],
...      [4,5,6],
...      [7,8,9]]
>>> 
>>> G = (sum(row) for row in M) # create a generator of row sums
>>> next(G) # Run the iteration protocol
6
>>> next(G)
15
>>> next(G)
24

See also:

• Documentation on generators
• Documentation on yield expressions (with some info about generators)