Python Lists
List
• 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 Tuple, Set, and Dictionary, all with
different qualities and usage.
• Lists are created using square brackets:
• Create a List:
List Items
• 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.
Ordered
• 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.
Changeable
• The list is changeable, meaning that we can change, add, and remove
items in a list after it has been created.
Allow Duplicates
• Since lists are indexed, lists can have items with the same value:
• Lists allow duplicate values:
List Length
• To determine how many items a list has, use the len() function:
• Print the number of items in the list:
List Items - Data Types
• List items can be of any data type:
• String, int and boolean data types:
List Items - Data Types
• A list can contain different data types:
• A list with strings, integers and boolean values:
type()
• From Python's perspective, lists are defined as objects with the data
type 'list’:
• What is the data type of a list?
The list() Constructor
• It is also possible to use the list() constructor when creating a new list.
• Using the list() constructor to make a List:
Access Items
• List items are indexed and you can access them by referring to the
index number:
• Print the second item of the list:
Negative Indexing
• Negative indexing means start from the end
• -1 refers to the last item, -2 refers to the second last item etc.
• Print the last item of the list:
Range of Indexes
• 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.
• Return the third, fourth, and fifth item:
• Note: The search will start at index 2 (included) and end at index 5
(not included).
Range of Indexes
• By leaving out the start value, the range will start at the first item:
• This example returns the items from the beginning to, but NOT
including, "kiwi":
Range of Indexes
• By leaving out the end value, the range will go on to the end of the
list:
• This example returns the items from "cherry" to the end:
Range of Negative Indexes
• Specify negative indexes if you want to start the search from the end
of the list:
• This example returns the items from "orange" (-4) to, but NOT
including "mango" (-1):
Check if Item Exists
• To determine if a specified item is present in a list use the in keyword:
• Check if "apple" is present in the list:
Change List Items
• Change Item Value
• To change the value of a specific item, refer to the index number:
• Change the second item:
Change a Range of Item Values
• Change the values "banana" and "cherry" with the values
"blackcurrant" and "watermelon":
Change a Range of Item 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:
• Change the second value by replacing it with two new values:
• Note: The length of the list will change when the number of items
inserted does not match the number of items replaced.
Change a Range of Item Values
• If you insert less items than you replace, the new items will be
inserted where you specified, and the remaining items will move
accordingly:
• Change the second and third value by replacing it with one value:
Insert Items
• 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:
• Insert "watermelon" as the third item:
• Note: As a result of the example above, the list will now contain 4
items.
Python - Add List Items
• Append Items
• To add an item to the end of the list, use the append() method:
• Using the append() method to append an item:
Insert Items
• To insert a list item at a specified index, use the insert() method.
• The insert() method inserts an item at the specified index:
• Insert an item as the second position:
• Note: As a result of the examples above, the lists will now contain 4
items.
Extend List
• To append elements from another list to the current list, use the
extend() method
• Add the elements of tropical to thislist:
• The elements will be added to the end of the list.
Add Any Iterable
• The extend() method does not have to append lists, you can add any
iterable object (tuples, sets, dictionaries etc.).
• Add elements of a tuple to a list:
Python - Remove List Items
• Remove Specified Item
• The remove() method removes the specified item.
• Remove "banana":
Remove Specified Index
• The pop() method removes the specified index.
• Remove the second item:
Remove Specified Index
• If you do not specify the index, the pop() method removes the last
item.
• Remove the last item:
Remove Specified Index
• The del keyword also removes the specified index:
• Remove the first item:
Remove Specified Index
• The del keyword can also delete the list completely.
• Delete the entire list:
Clear the List
• The clear() method empties the list.
• The list still remains, but it has no content.
• Clear the list content:
