When we use a computer, we tend to interact with its various resources. Similar to how we need to manage resources in our daily lives like our time and energy, resources on a computer also need to be managed.
For computers, the resources we manage usually come in the form of memory, storage, or power. Since all resources are limited, if they are not managed well, it can lead to the computer running out of memory, space, and even cause crashes. So how do we manage these resources? Well, one of the easiest ways (and one we already started to explore) is through the use of context managers.
A context manager is an object that takes care of the assigning and releasing of resources (files, database connections, etc). Learning to properly use context managers will give our software benefits such as:
- Preventing resource leaks
- Preventing crashes
- Decreasing the vulnerability of our data
- Preventing program slow-down.
Before we dive into context managers, let’s examine what happens when we don’t manage our resources properly.
Instructions
Take a look at the with statement in the code editor! This is an example of a context manager! It should look familiar from when we worked with files earlier. If not, it might be a good time to review the module in Learn Python 3.
Click Next to move on to learn about context managers!