Lists in Python
A list is a collection which is ordered and changeable. In Python lists are written
with square brackets.
Example
Create a List:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
print(thislist)
Access Items
You access the list items by referring to the index number:
Example
Print the second item of the list:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
print(thislist[1])
Change Item Value
To change the value of a specific item, refer to the index number:
Example
Change the second item:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
thislist[1] = "blackcurrant"
print(thislist)
Loop Through a List
You can loop through the list items by using a for loop:
Example
Print all items in the list, one by one:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
for x in thislist:
print(x)
Check if Item Exists
To determine if a specified item is present in a list use the in keyword:
Example
Check if "apple" is present in the list:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
if "apple" in thislist:
print("Yes, 'apple' is in the fruits list")
List Length
To determine how many items a list has, use the len() method:
Example
Print the number of items in the list:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
print(len(thislist))
Add Items
To add an item to the end of the list, use the append() method:
Example
Using the append() method to append an item:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
thislist.append("orange")
print(thislist)
To add an item at the specified index, use
the insert() method:
Example
Insert an item as the second position:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
thislist.insert(1, "orange")
print(thislist)
Remove Item
There are several methods to remove items from a list:
Example
The remove() method removes the specified item:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
thislist.remove("banana")
print(thislist)
Example
The pop() method removes the specified index, (or the last item if index is not
specified):
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
thislist.pop()
print(thislist)
Example
The del keyword removes the specified index:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
del thislist[0]
print(thislist)
Example
The del keyword can also delete the list completely:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
del thislist
print(thislist) #this will cause an error because "thislist" no longer
exists.
Example
The clear() method empties the list:
thislist = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
thislist.clear()
print(thislist)
The list() Constructor
It is also possible to use the list() constructor to make a list.
Example
Using the list() constructor to make a List:
thislist = list(("apple", "banana", "cherry")) # note the double
round-brackets
print(thislist)
List Methods
Python has a set of built-in methods that you can use on lists.
Method Description
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 item with the specified value
reverse() Reverses the order of the list
sort() Sorts the list
