Python tutorial
Lists in Python
- List allow you to store multiple items in one place.
- List is a collection which is ordered and changable.
- Lists are written with square brackets.
Fruits_list = ["apple", "banana", "mango"]
print(Fruits_list)
output:
['apple', 'banana', 'mango']
You can access list items through their position in the list or Index.
The first item is always index zero.
A negative index access the list from the other end.
Fruits_list = ["apple", "banana", "mango"]
print(Fruits_list)
print(Fruits_list[0])
print(Fruits_list[-1])
output:
['apple', 'banana', 'mango']
apple
mango
append()
use append() to add single items to the end of a list.
Fruits_list = ["apple", "banana", "mango"]
Fruits_list.append('cherry')
print(Fruits_list)
Output:
['apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
insert()
use insert() to insert items at any position useing the index of that position.
Fruits_list = ["apple", "banana", "mango", 'cherry']
Fruits_list.insert(0,'grapes')
print(Fruits_list)
Output:
['grapes','apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
Modify/Replace
modify an element in a list useing its index
Fruits_list = ["apple", "banana", "mango", 'cherry']
Fruits_list[-1]='CHERRY'
print(Fruits_list)
Output:
['apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'CHERRY']
This is how we replace or modify items in a list
Removing Items from a List
Removing items from a list by useing
- remove()
- del
- pop()
remove()
The remove() method removes a specific item from a list
Fruits_list=['grapes','apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
Fruits_list.remove('grapes')
print(Fruits_list)
Output:
['apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
if an item appears more than once in the list, only its first appearance is removed.
Fruits_list=['grapes','apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry','grapes']
Fruits_list.remove('grapes')
print(Fruits_list)
Output:
['apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry', 'grapes']
del
the del keyword delets an item at specific position in a list useing its index.
Fruits_list=['grapes','apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
del Fruits_list[0]
print(Fruits_list)
Output:
['apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
pop()
The pop( ) method removes the last item in a list by default.
The pop()
method removes the element at the specified position.
Fruits_list=['grapes','apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
Fruits_list.pop()
print(Fruits_list)
Fruits_list.pop(2)
print(Fruits_list)
Output:
['grapes', 'apple', 'banana', 'mango']
['grapes', 'apple', 'mango']
Slicing a List
Slice is a part of a list that begins with the item at the first index specified and stops with the item before the last index is specified.
1)Slice Range of items
Fruits_list=['grapes','apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
print(Fruits_list[1:3])
Output:
['apple', 'banana']
2)Slice First two items
Fruits_list=['grapes','apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
print(Fruits_list[:2])
Output:
['grapes', 'apple']
3)Slice Last two items
Fruits_list=['grapes','apple', 'banana', 'mango', 'cherry']
print(Fruits_list[-2:])
Output:
['mango', 'cherry']
copy a list
A copy of a list lets you work with the cintents of the copied list without affecting the orginal list.
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
x = fruits[:]
print(x)
Output:
['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
Changes you make to the new list dont affect the original list
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
x = fruits[:]
print(x)
x.append('dragon fruit')
print(x)
print(fruits)
Output:
['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'dragon fruit']
['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
Looping a list
use a for loop to loop through all items in a list
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
for x in fruits:
print(x)
Output:
apple
banana
cherry
We can also use slice in a loop
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
for x in fruits[:2]:
print(x)
Output:
apple
banana
Sorting Lists
The sorted() function returns a copy of a list in a natural sorted order.the order of the orginal list is not affected
fruits=['apple','mango','cherry','strawberry','dragon fruit']
print(sorted(fruits))
print(fruits)
Output:
['apple', 'cherry', 'dragon fruit', 'mango', 'strawberry']
['apple', 'mango', 'cherry', 'strawberry', 'dragon fruit']
To sort a list,use the sort() method
fruits=['apple','mango','cherry','strawberry','dragon fruit']
fruits.sort()
print(fruits)
Output:
['apple', 'cherry', 'dragon fruit', 'mango', 'strawberry']
Reverse Sorting Lists
to sort a list in reverse order,use the reverse argument set to True
fruits=['apple','mango','cherry','strawberry','dragon fruit']
x=sorted(fruits,reverse=True)
print(x)
Output:
['strawberry', 'mango', 'dragon fruit', 'cherry', 'apple']
The reverse argument works with sort() and sorted().To reverse the orginal order of a list,use the reverse() method
fruits=['apple','mango','cherry','strawberry','dragon fruit']
fruits.reverse()
print(fruits)
Output:
['dragon fruit', 'strawberry', 'cherry', 'mango', 'apple']
the reverse() method reverses the orginal order of a list
List Comprehensions
A list comprehensions is a compact way of defining a list in one line
for exp in range(5):
print(10**exp)
Output:
1
10
100
1000
10000
Lets see how to write above logic in List Comprehensions
num=[10**exp for exp in range(5)]
print(num)
Output:
[1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000]
Numerical Lists
The range() function generates a series of numbers.Giving a range() one argument returns a series of numbers from 0 upto,not includeing the number
num=list(range(5))
print(num)
Output:
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
Pass two values to create a range that starts with the first value and ends at one less than the second value.
num=list(range(5,10))
print(num)
Output:
[5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
Use a third argument to specify a distance to skip between numbers in a list
num=list(range(5,10,2))
print(num)
Output:
[5, 7, 9]