Python Topics : How to Use any()
How to Use any() in Python
writing a program for an employer's recruiting department
schedule interviews with candidates who meet any of the following criteria
  • know Python
  • 5+ years of experience
  • has a degree
using or 
# recruit_developer.py
def schedule_interview(applicant):
    print(f"Scheduled interview with {applicant['name']}")

applicants = [
    {
        "name": "Devon Smith",
        "programming_languages": ["c++", "ada"],
        "years_of_experience": 1,
        "has_degree": False,
        "email_address": "[email protected]",
    },
    {
        "name": "Susan Jones",
        "programming_languages": ["python", "javascript"],
        "years_of_experience": 2,
        "has_degree": False,
        "email_address": "[email protected]",
    },
    {
        "name": "Sam Hughes",
        "programming_languages": ["java"],
        "years_of_experience": 4,
        "has_degree": True,
        "email_address": "[email protected]",
    },
]
for applicant in applicants:
    knows_python = "python" in applicant["programming_languages"]
    experienced_dev = applicant["years_of_experience"] >= 5

    meets_criteria = (
        knows_python
        or experienced_dev
        or applicant["has_degree"]
    )
    if meets_criteria:
        schedule_interview(applicant)
using any() 
for applicant in applicants:
    knows_python = "python" in applicant["programming_languages"]
    experienced_dev = applicant["years_of_experience"] >= 5

    credentials = (
        knows_python,
        experienced_dev,
        applicant["has_degree"],
    )
    if any(credentials):
        schedule_interview(applicant)
any() can take any iterable as an argument 
>>> any([0, 0, 1, 0])
True

>>> any(set((True, False, True)))
True

>>> any(map(str.isdigit, "hello world"))
False
How to Distinguish Between or and any()

two main differences
  1. syntax
  2. return value
Syntax
or is an operator which takes two arguments 
>>> True or False
True
any() is a function which takes an iterable as an argument 
>>> any((False, True))
True
can pass an iterable directly to any()
to get similar behavior from or need to use a loop or a function like reduce() 
>>> import functools
>>> functools.reduce(lambda x, y: x or y, (True, False, False))
True
lazy evaluation avoids testing a condition if any preceding condition is True
below using or eliminates the need to call is_local() 
def knows_python(applicant):
    print(f"Determining if {applicant['name']} knows Python...")
    return "python" in applicant["programming_languages"]

def is_local(applicant):
    print(f"Determine if {applicant['name']} lives near the office...")

should_interview = knows_python(applicant) or is_local(applicant)
using any() the same code will call sometimes unnecessary is_local() every time even when knows_python() returns True

a lazy evaluation can be done with any() using a generator expression 

any((meets_criteria(applicant) for applicant in applicants))
Return Value
any() returns a boolean indicating the truthy value of the iterable
or returns the first truthy value it finds
if or fails to find a truthy value it returns the last value in the iterable

any() returns the actual value of the iterable
or returns if a truthy value is in the iterable

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