List
Last updated
Last updated
Lists are used to store multiple items in a single variable.
Lists are one of 4 built-in data types in Python used to store collections of data, the other 3 are , , and , all with different qualities and usage.
Lists are created using square brackets:
List items are ordered, changeable, and allow duplicate values.
List items are indexed, the first item has index [0]
, the second item has index [1]
etc.
When we say that lists are ordered, it means that the items have a defined order, and that order will not change.
If you add new items to a list, the new items will be placed at the end of the list.
The list is changeable, meaning that we can change, add, and remove items in a list after it has been created.
Since lists are indexed, lists can have items with the same value:
To determine how many items a list has, use the len()
function:
List items can be of any data type:
A list can contain different data types:
From Python's perspective, lists are defined as objects with the data type 'list':
What is the data type of a list?
It is also possible to use the list() constructor when creating a new list.
There are four collection data types in the Python programming language:
List is a collection which is ordered and changeable. Allows duplicate members.
*Set items are unchangeable, but you can remove and/or add items whenever you like.
**As of Python version 3.7, dictionaries are ordered. In Python 3.6 and earlier, dictionaries are unordered.
When choosing a collection type, it is useful to understand the properties of that type. Choosing the right type for a particular data set could mean retention of meaning, and, it could mean an increase in efficiency or security.
List items are indexed and you can access them by referring to the index number:
Note: The first item has index 0.
Negative indexing means start from the end
-1
refers to the last item, -2
refers to the second last item etc.
You can specify a range of indexes by specifying where to start and where to end the range.
When specifying a range, the return value will be a new list with the specified items.
Note: The search will start at index 2 (included) and end at index 5 (not included).
Remember that the first item has index 0.
By leaving out the start value, the range will start at the first item:
By leaving out the end value, the range will go on to the end of the list:
Specify negative indexes if you want to start the search from the end of the list:
To determine if a specified item is present in a list use the in
keyword:
To change the value of a specific item, refer to the index number:
To change the value of items within a specific range, define a list with the new values, and refer to the range of index numbers where you want to insert the new values:
If you insert more items than you replace, the new items will be inserted where you specified, and the remaining items will move accordingly:
If you insert less items than you replace, the new items will be inserted where you specified, and the remaining items will move accordingly:
To insert a new list item, without replacing any of the existing values, we can use the insert()
method.
The insert()
method inserts an item at the specified index:
To add an item to the end of the list, use the append() method:
To insert a list item at a specified index, use the insert()
method.
The insert()
method inserts an item at the specified index:
Note: As a result of the examples above, the lists will now contain 4 items.
To append elements from another list to the current list, use the extend()
method.
The elements will be added to the end of the list.
The extend()
method does not have to append lists, you can add any iterable object (tuples, sets, dictionaries etc.).
The remove()
method removes the specified item.
The pop()
method removes the specified index.
If you do not specify the index, the pop()
method removes the last item.
The del
keyword also removes the specified index:
The del
keyword can also delete the list completely.
The clear()
method empties the list.
The list still remains, but it has no content.
You can loop through the list items by using a for
loop:
You can also loop through the list items by referring to their index number.
Use the range()
and len()
functions to create a suitable iterable.
The iterable created in the example above is [0, 1, 2]
.
You can loop through the list items by using a while
loop.
Use the len()
function to determine the length of the list, then start at 0 and loop your way through the list items by refering to their indexes.
Remember to increase the index by 1 after each iteration.
List Comprehension offers the shortest syntax for looping through lists:
List comprehension offers a shorter syntax when you want to create a new list based on the values of an existing list.
Example:
Based on a list of fruits, you want a new list, containing only the fruits with the letter "a" in the name.
Without list comprehension you will have to write a for
statement with a conditional test inside:
With list comprehension you can do all that with only one line of code:
newlist = [expression for item in iterable if condition == True]
The return value is a new list, leaving the old list unchanged.
The condition is like a filter that only accepts the items that valuate to True
.
The condition if x != "apple"
will return True
for all elements other than "apple", making the new list contain all fruits except "apple".
The condition is optional and can be omitted:
The iterable can be any iterable object, like a list, tuple, set etc.
You can use the range()
function to create an iterable:
newlist = [x for x in range(10)]
Same example, but with a condition:
The expression is the current item in the iteration, but it is also the outcome, which you can manipulate before it ends up like a list item in the new list:
You can set the outcome to whatever you like:
The expression can also contain conditions, not like a filter, but as a way to manipulate the outcome:
The expression in the example above says:
"Return the item if it is not banana, if it is banana return orange".
List objects have a sort()
method that will sort the list alphanumerically, ascending, by default:
To sort descending, use the keyword argument reverse = True
:
By default the sort()
method is case sensitive, resulting in all capital letters being sorted before lower case letters:
Luckily we can use built-in functions as key functions when sorting a list.
So if you want a case-insensitive sort function, use str.lower
as a key function:
What if you want to reverse the order of a list, regardless of the alphabet?
The reverse()
method reverses the current sorting order of the elements.
You cannot copy a list simply by typing list2 = list1
, because: list2
will only be a reference to list1
, and changes made in list1
will automatically also be made in list2
.
There are ways to make a copy, one way is to use the built-in List method copy()
.
Another way to make a copy is to use the built-in method list()
.
There are several ways to join, or concatenate, two or more lists in Python.
One of the easiest ways are by using the +
operator.
Another way to join two lists is by appending all the items from list2 into list1, one by one:
Or you can use the extend()
method, which purpose is to add elements from one list to another list:
Python has a set of built-in methods that you can use on lists.
Adds an element at the end of the list
Removes all the elements from the list
Returns a copy of the list
Returns the number of elements with the specified value
Add the elements of a list (or any iterable), to the end of the current list
Returns the index of the first element with the specified value
Adds an element at the specified position
Removes the element at the specified position
Removes the item with the specified value
Reverses the order of the list
Sorts the list
is a collection which is ordered and unchangeable. Allows duplicate members.
is a collection which is unordered, unchangeable*, and unindexed. No duplicate members.
is a collection which is ordered** and changeable. No duplicate members.