A list is a container which holds comma-separated values (items or elements)

between square brackets where items or elements need not all have the same
type.

In general, we can define a list as an object that contains multiple data items
(elements). The contents of a list can be changed during program execution. The
size of a list can also change during execution, as elements are added or
removed from it.

Note: There are much programming languages which allow us to create arrays,
which are objects similar to lists. Lists serve the same purpose as arrays and
have many more built-in capabilities. Traditional arrays can not be created in
Python.

Examples of lists:

numbers = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]

names = ["Sara", "David", "Warner", "Sandy"]

student_info = ["Sara", 1, "Chemistry"]

Contents:

Create a Python list

Add an item to the end of the list

Insert an item at a given position

Modify an element by using the index of the element

Remove an item from the list

Remove all items from the list

Slice Elements from a List

Remove the item at the given position in the list, and return it

Return the index in the list of the first item whose value is x

Return the number of times 'x' appear in the list

Sort the items of the list in place

Reverse the elements of the list in place

Return a shallow copy of the list

Search the Lists and find elements

Lists are mutable

Convert a list to a tuple in python?

How to use the double colon [ : : ]?

Find largest and the smallest items in a list

Compare two lists in Python?

Nested lists in Python

How can I get the index of an element contained in the list?

Using Lists as Stacks

Using Lists as Queues

Python List Exercises

Create a Python list:

>>> print(my_list1)

[5, 12, 13, 14]

>>> my_list2 = ['red', 'blue', 'black', 'white'] # the list contains all string

values

>>> print(my_list2)

['red', 'blue', 'black', 'white']

>>> my_list3 = ['red', 12, 112.12] # the list contains a string, an integer and

a float values

>>> print(my_list3)

['red', 12, 112.12]

>>>

A list without any element is called an empty list. See the following statements.
>>> my_list=[]
>>> print(my_list)
[]
>>>
Use + operator to create a new list that is a concatenation of two lists and use *
operator to repeat a list. See the following statements.
>>> color_list1 = ["White", "Yellow"]
>>> color_list2 = ["Red", "Blue"]
>>> color_list3 = ["Green", "Black"]
>>> color_list = color_list1 + color_list2 + color_list3
>>> print(color_list)
['White', 'Yellow', 'Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> number = [1,2,3]
>>> print(number[0]*4)
4
>>> print(number*4)
[1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3]
>>>
List indices:

List indices work the same way as string indices, list indices start at 0. If an index
has a positive value it counts from the begriming and similarly it counts backward
if the index has a negative value. As positive integers are used to index from the
left end and negative integers are used to index from the right end, so every item
of a list gives two alternatives indices. Let create a list called color_list with four
items.
color_list=["RED", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]

Item RED Blue Green Black

Index (from left) 0 1 2 3

Index (from right) -4 -3 -2 -1

If you give any index value which is out of range then interpreter creates an error
message. See the following statements.
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"] # The list have four elements
indices start at 0 and end at 3
>>> color_list[0] # Return the First Element
'Red'
>>> print(color_list[0],color_list[3]) # Print First and Last Elements
Red Black
>>> color_list[-1] # Return Last Element
'Black'
>>> print(color_list[4]) # Creates Error as the indices is out of range
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
IndexError: list index out of range
>>>
Add an item to the end of the list:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.append("Yellow")
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black', 'Yellow']
>>>
Insert an item at a given position:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.insert(2, "White") #Insert an item at third position
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'White', 'Green', 'Black']
>>>
Modify an element by using the index of the element:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list[2]="Yellow" #Change the third color
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Yellow', 'Black']
>>>
Remove an item from the list:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.remove("Black")
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green']
Remove all items from the list:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.clear()
>>> print(color_list)
[]
>>>
List Slices:

Lists can be sliced like strings and other sequences.

Syntax:
sliced_list = List_Name[startIndex:endIndex]
This refers to the items of a list starting at index startIndex and stopping just
before index endIndex. The default values for list are 0 (startIndex) and the end
(endIndex) of the list. If you omit both indices, the slice makes a copy of the
original list. See the following statements.
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"] # The list have four elements
indices start at 0 and end at 3
>>> print(color_list[0:2]) # cut first two items
['Red', 'Blue']
>>> print(color_list[1:2]) # cut second item
['Blue']
>>> print(color_list[1:-2]) # cut second item
['Blue']
>>> print(color_list[:3]) # cut first three items
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green']
>>> print(color_list[:]) # Creates copy of original list
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>>
Remove the item at the given position in the list, and return it
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.pop(2) # Remove second item and return it
'Green'
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Black']
>>>
Return the index in the list of the first item whose value is x
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.index("Red")
0
>>> color_list.index("Black")
3
>>>
Return the number of times 'x' appear in the list.
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black", "Blue"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black', 'Blue']
>>> color_list.count("Blue")
2
>>>
Sort the items of the list in place:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.sort(key=None, reverse=False)
>>> print(color_list)
['Black', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Red']
>>>
Reverse the elements of the list in place:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.reverse()
>>> print(color_list)
['Black', 'Green', 'Blue', 'Red']
>>>
Return a shallow copy of the list:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.copy()
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>>
Search the Lists and find Elements:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.index("Green")
2
>>>
Lists are Mutable:

Items in the list are mutable i.e. after creating a list you can change any item in
the list. See the following statements.
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list[0])
Red
>>> color_list[0]="White" # Change the value of first item "Red" to "White"
>>> print(color_list)
['White', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> print(color_list[0])
White
>>>
Convert a list to a tuple in Python:
>>> tupl=[1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> print(tupl)
[1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> listx=list(tupl)
>>> print(listx)
[1, 2, 3, 4]
>>>
How to use the double colon [ : : ]?
>>> listx=[1, 5, 7, 3, 2, 4, 6]
>>> print(listx)
[1, 5, 7, 3, 2, 4, 6]
>>> sublist=listx[2:7:2] #list[start:stop:step], #step specify an increment
between the elements to cut of the list.
>>> print(sublist)
[7, 2, 6]
>>> sublist=listx[::3] #returns a list with a jump every 2 times.
>>> print(sublist)
[1, 3, 6]
>>> sublist=listx[6:2:-2] #when step is negative the jump is made back
>>> print(sublist)
[6, 2]
>>>
Find the largest and the smallest item in a list:
>>> listx=[5, 10, 3, 25, 7, 4, 15]
>>> print(listx)
[5, 10, 3, 25, 7, 4, 15]
>>> print(max(listx)) # the max() function of built-in allows to know the highest
value in the list.
25
>>> print(min(listx)) #the min() function of built-in allows to know the lowest
value in the list.
3
>>>
Compare two lists in Python:
>>> listx1, listx2=[3, 5, 7, 9], [3, 5, 7, 9]
>>> print (listx1 == listx2)
True
>>> listx1, listx2=[9, 7, 5, 3], [3, 5, 7, 9] #create two lists equal, but
unsorted.
>>> print(listx1 == listx2)
False
>>> listx1, listx2 =[2, 3, 5, 7], [3, 5, 7, 9] #create two different list
>>> print(listx1 == listx2)
False
>>> print(listx1.sort() == listx2.sort()) #order and compare
True
>>>
Nested lists in Python:
>>> listx = [["Hello", "World"], [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]]
>>> print(listx)
[['Hello', 'World'], [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]]
>>> listx = [["Hello", "World"], [0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5]]
>>> print(listx)
[['Hello', 'World'], [0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5]]
>>> print(listx[0][1]) #The first [] indicates the index of the outer
list.
World
>>> print(listx[1][3]) #the second [] indicates the index nested lists.
3
>>> listx.append([True, False]) #add new items
>>> print(listx)
[['Hello', 'World'], [0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 5], [True, False]]
>>> listx[1][2]=4
>>> print(listx)
[['Hello', 'World'], [0, 1, 4, 3, 3, 5], [True, False]] #update value
items
>>>
How can I get the index of an element contained in the list?
>>> listy = list("HELLO WORLD")
>>> print(listy)
['H', 'E', 'L', 'L', 'O', ' ', 'W', 'O', 'R', 'L', 'D']
>>> index = listy.index("L") #get index of the first item whose value is passed
as parameter
>>> print(index)
2
>>> index = listy.index("L", 4) #define the index from which you want to search
>>> print(index)
9
>>> index = listy.index("O", 3, 5) #define the segment of the list to be
searched
>>> print(index)
4
>>>
Using Lists as Stacks:
>>> color_list=["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"]
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black']
>>> color_list.append("White")
>>> color_list.append("Yellow")
>>> print(color_list)
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black', 'White', 'Yellow']
>>> color_list.pop()
'Yellow'
>>> color_list.pop()
'White'
>>> color_list.pop()
'Black'
>>> color_list
['Red', 'Blue', 'Green']
>>>
Using Lists as Queues:
>>> from collections import deque
>>> color_list = deque(["Red", "Blue", "Green", "Black"])
>>> color_list.append("White") # White arrive
>>> print(color_list)
deque(['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black', 'White'])
>>> color_list.append("Yellow") # Yellow arrive
>>> print(color_list)
deque(['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Black', 'White', 'Yellow'])
>>> color_list.popleft() # The first to arrive now leaves
'Red'
>>> print(color_list)
deque(['Blue', 'Green', 'Black', 'White', 'Yellow'])
>>> color_list.popleft() # The second to arrive now leaves
'Blue'
>>> print(color_list)
deque(['Green', 'Black', 'White', 'Yellow'])
>>> print(color_list) # Remaining queue in order of arrival
deque(['Green', 'Black', 'White', 'Yellow'])
>>>