How to Use Redis With Python

This article will explore how to connect and use Redis with Python.

Redis is a open-source, in-memory database storing data as key-value pairs. It is a popular choice as a caching mechanism or a message broker.

Redis can perform swift and memory-efficient operations with minimal configurations when paired with a language like Python.

Requirements

This article assumes you have the latest version of the Redis server, and Python 3 is installed and configured on your system.

We also assume basic Python and Redis knowledge.

Installing Redis-Py

To connect and use Redis with Python, we need a Python-Redis client. For this process, we will opt for redis-py as it is easy to use and configure.

You can check other python-redis clients on the resource page below:

https://redis.io/clients#python

To install, open the terminal and run the following command:

$ pip3 install redis

The previous command should download and install the Redis-py client.

Connecting to Redis

The next step is to connect to our Redis server. Start by creating a working directory as:

$ mkdir redis-python
$ cd redis-python

Create a Python file and give it any name you see fit.

$ touch main.py

Open the file with your text editor and add the code shown below:

import redis
r = redis.Redis(
host='172.31.226.228',
port=6379,
password='password'
)

In the previous example code, we start by importing the Redis module.

Next, we create a new Redis client using the redis.Redis method. Then, we pass the parameters to connect to the Redis server.

NOTE: Ensure to replace the host, port, and password with the details for your Redis server.

To test the server is running, add the following:

if r.ping():
print("PONG")
else:
print("Connection failed!")

Redis Set Key-Value Pairs

Once you are connected, you can perform all supported operations on the Redis server. For simplicity, let us set a new key-value pair.

We can run the code as:

# set key-value pair
r.set("mykey", "myvalue")

The set function takes key and value as arguments and adds them to the database.

Redis Get Key-Value Pairs

To get the value associated with a specific key, use the get method as shown below:

# get value
print(r.get("mykey"))

The previous code should return:

b'myvalue'

Python Redis SETEX

We can also set a key and value pair that expires at a specific duration. To do this, we can use the SETEX function as shown below:

# set with expiry
r.setex("another-key", 60, "another-value")

Here, we set a new key and value that expires in 60 seconds.

To check the TTL, we can do the following:

print(r.ttl("another-key"))

This should return how many seconds the key has to live.

Redis Python Switch Database

To switch Redis databases in Python, use the select function as:

# switch db
r.select(10)

The previous command should switch to the database at index 10.

Conclusion

This guide covered the basics of connecting and using Redis with Python through the Redis set key-value pairs and the Python Redis SETEX. We hope you found this article helpful. Check the other Linux Hint articles for tips and tutorials.