Difference between Python's Generators and Iterators

Question

What is the difference between iterators and generators? Some examples for when you would use each case would be helpful.

Answer 1

Adding an answer because none of the existing answers specifically address the confusion in the official literature.

Generator functions are ordinary functions defined using yield instead of return. When called, a generator function returns a generator object, which is a kind of iterator - it has a next() method. When you call next(), the next value yielded by the generator function is returned.

Either the function or the object may be called the "generator" depending on which Python source document you read. The Python glossary says generator functions, while the Python wiki implies generator objects. The Python tutorial remarkably manages to imply both usages in the space of three sentences:

Generators are a simple and powerful tool for creating iterators. They are written like regular functions but use the yield statement whenever they want to return data. Each time next() is called on it, the generator resumes where it left off (it remembers all the data values and which statement was last executed).

The first two sentences identify generators with generator functions, while the third sentence identifies them with generator objects.

Despite all this confusion, one can seek out the Python language reference for the clear and final word:

The yield expression is only used when defining a generator function, and can only be used in the body of a function definition. Using a yield expression in a function definition is sufficient to cause that definition to create a generator function instead of a normal function.

When a generator function is called, it returns an iterator known as a generator. That generator then controls the execution of a generator function.

So, in formal and precise usage, "generator" unqualified means generator object, not generator function.

The above references are for Python 2 but Python 3 language reference says the same thing. However, the Python 3 glossary states that

generator ... Usually refers to a generator function, but may refer to a generator iterator in some contexts. In cases where the intended meaning isn’t clear, using the full terms avoids ambiguity.