Introduced in Python in PEP-3132, extended unpacking is a way of allowing more flexible unpacking of iterable objects. It enables the use of the * operator to capture multiple items in a list or tuple into a single variable, while still allowing other elements to be unpacked into separate variables.

Examples

Basic Usage

In this example, first captures the first element, while remaining captures all subsequent elements in the list:

first, *remaining = range(5)
assert first == 0
assert remaining == [1, 2, 3, 4]

Using * In Different Positions

The * operator can be used in various positions within the unpacking pattern. Here, first and last capture the first and last elements, respectively, while middle captures all elements in between.

first, *middle, last = range(5)
assert first == 0
assert middle == [1, 2, 3]
assert last == 4