Lists in Python
In Python, lists are an incredibly useful way to store and manage collections of data. Let's break down their key characteristics and how you can work with them.
Core Features
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Ordered: Lists maintain the order in which you insert items. This means that the position of each element has significance.
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Mutable: You can change the contents of a list after you create it. This includes adding, removing, or modifying existing items.
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Heterogeneous: A list can hold elements of different data types. You could have numbers, strings, and even other lists all within a single list.
You have two primary ways to create lists in Python:
Square brackets:
python list declaration example using Square brackets
my_list = [10, "hello", True, 3.14]
print(my_list)
Output
[10, "hello", True, 3.14]
list() constructor:
python list declaration example using list constructor
my_list = list((5, "world", False))
print(my_list)
Output
[5, "world", False]
Built-in methods in Lists
append() Adds an element at the end of the list
clear() Removes all the elements from the list
copy() Returns a copy of the list
count() Returns the number of elements with the specified value
extend() Add the elements of a list (or any iterable), to the end of the current list
index() Returns the index of the first element with the specified value
insert() Adds an element at the specified position
pop() Removes the element at the specified position
remove() Removes the first item with the specified value
reverse() Reverses the order of the list
sort() Sorts the list
More points about Lists
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Storing sequences: Represent sequences of related items, such as a list of student names or product prices.
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Implementing stacks and queues: The way you add and remove elements from lists aligns well with these fundamental data structures.
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Iterating over elements: Use for loops to process each element in a list sequentially.
Example
Basic example of list datatype in python with methods
shopping_list = ["eggs", "bread", "milk"]
print(shopping_list[0])
shopping_list.append("butter")
print(shopping_list)
shopping_list.remove("bread")
print(shopping_list)
Output
eggs
["eggs", "bread", "milk", "butter"]
["eggs", "milk", "butter"]