Generators in Python - Interview Questions and Answers

A generator is a special type of iterator that allows lazy evaluation. It is defined using a function with the yield keyword instead of return.

A normal function returns a value and terminates, whereas a generator yields values one at a time and can resume execution from where it left off.

The yield keyword is used to return a value from a generator function while preserving its state for subsequent calls.

A generator is created using a function that contains one or more yield statements.

def my_generator():
    yield 1
    yield 2
    yield 3

You can use a for loop or the next() function to iterate over a generator.

gen = my_generator()
print(next(gen))  # Output: 1
print(next(gen))  # Output: 2
print(next(gen))  # Output: 3

A StopIteration exception is raised when a generator has no more values to yield.

Lazy evaluation reduces memory usage by generating values only when needed, rather than storing all values in memory.

Yes, a generator can have multiple yield statements, allowing it to produce multiple values.

Yes, but a return statement will terminate the generator and raise a StopIteration exception.

You can check using isinstance(obj, types.GeneratorType).

Yes, but it requires yield from for proper recursion.

The yield from statement is used to delegate part of a generator’s operations to another generator.

def sub_generator():
    yield 1
    yield 2

def main_generator():
    yield from sub_generator()
    yield 3

No, once a generator is exhausted, it cannot be restarted. You need to create a new instance.

Use the .close() method to stop a generator.

Use the .send() method to send values to a generator.

return stops the function, while yield allows resuming execution.

Yes, just like normal functions.

You cannot reset a generator, but you can create a new instance.

Yes, an infinite generator keeps yielding values indefinitely.

def infinite_counter():
    count = 0
    while True:
        yield count
        count += 1

It converts the generator into a list, consuming all values.

Generators help process large files line by line without loading everything into memory.

Generators can be used to yield page content one by one, reducing memory usage.

Streaming large logs or API responses efficiently.

Generators can yield training data batch by batch instead of loading it all at once.

Handling multiple connections efficiently without blocking execution.

Use list(generator), but it consumes all elements.

You can store the generator object, but it doesn’t store its values.

They yield a set number of items per iteration, reducing load time.

It keeps only the current yielded value in memory, reducing memory footprint.

The generator can catch and handle exceptions.

All generators are iterators, but not all iterators are generators. Generators use yield, while iterators require __iter__() and __next__().

No, yield cannot be used inside a lambda.

It allows a generator to yield values from another generator directly.

Use next(), for loops, or print statements to inspect behavior.

Yes, using threading or multiprocessing.

It sends an exception into the generator to handle errors.

It maintains the context manager’s scope.

Use return, but it raises StopIteration.

Coroutines are enhanced generators that can receive values via .send().

It returns the next item or a default value if exhausted.

The .throw() method is used to raise an exception inside a generator at the point where it was paused.

def gen():
    try:
        yield 1
    except ValueError:
        yield "Exception handled"

g = gen()
print(next(g))  # Output: 1
print(g.throw(ValueError))  # Output: "Exception handled"

The .send() method allows sending values into a generator to modify its behavior dynamically.

def my_gen():
    value = yield
    yield f"Received {value}"

g = my_gen()
next(g)  # Prime the generator
print(g.send("Hello"))  # Output: Received Hello

Sending None is equivalent to calling next() and is used to start the generator initially.

Yes, yield can be used inside a with statement, ensuring resource cleanup.

def file_reader(filename):
    with open(filename) as f:
        for line in f:
            yield line.strip()

It refers to combining multiple generators using yield from, making code more modular.

You can use try-except blocks to handle exceptions within a generator.

No, generators maintain state and cannot be directly copied using copy.deepcopy().

Use sys.getsizeof(generator) or memory profiling tools like memory_profiler.

Use sys.getsizeof(generator) or memory profiling tools like memory_profiler.

Convert it into a list using list(generator()) and compare it with expected results.

Generators are already iterators since they implement __iter__() and __next__().