Python Lists

Chapter 4
 Programming
• Algorithm
- A set of rules or steps used to solve a problem

• Data Structure
- A particular way of organizing data in a computer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_structure
 What is Not a “Collection”?
Most of our variables have one value in them - when we put a new
value in the variable, the old value is overwritten

$ python
>>> x = 2
>>> x = 4
>>> print(x)
4
 A List is a Kind of
Collection
• A collection allows us to put many values in a single “variable”

• A collection is nice because we can carry all many values

around in one convenient package.

friends = [ 'Joseph', 'Glenn', 'Sally' ]

carryon = [ 'socks', 'shirt', 'perfume' ]

 List Constants
• List constants are surrounded by >>> print([1, 24, 76])
square brackets and the elements [1, 24, 76]
>>> print(['red', 'yellow',
in the list are separated by 'blue'])
commas ['red', 'yellow', 'blue']
>>> print(['red', 24, 98.6])
• A list element can be any Python ['red', 24, 98.6]
>>> print([ 1, [5, 6], 7])
object - even another list [1, [5, 6], 7]
>>> print([])
• A list can be empty []
 We Already Use Lists!
5
for i in [5, 4, 3, 2, 1] :
print(i) 4
print('Blastoff!') 3
2
1
Blastoff!
 Lists and Definite Loops - Best Pals

friends = ['Joseph', 'Glenn', 'Sally']

for friend in friends : Happy New Year: Joseph
print('Happy New Year:', friend)
print('Done!') Happy New Year: Glenn
Happy New Year: Sally
Done!
z = ['Joseph', 'Glenn', 'Sally']
for x in z:
print('Happy New Year:', x)
print('Done!')
 Looking Inside Lists

Just like strings, we can get at any single element in a list using an
index specified in square brackets

>>> friends = [ 'Joseph', 'Glenn', 'Sally' ]

Joseph Glenn Sally >>> print(friends[1])
Glenn
0 1 2 >>>
 Lists are Mutable
>>> fruit = 'Banana'
>>> fruit[0] = 'b'
• Strings are “immutable” - we Traceback
cannot change the contents of a TypeError: 'str' object does not
string - we must make a new string support item assignment
>>> x = fruit.lower()
to make any change >>> print(x)
banana
>>> lotto = [2, 14, 26, 41, 63]
• Lists are “mutable” - we can >>> print(lotto)
change an element of a list using [2, 14, 26, 41, 63]
>>> lotto[2] = 28
the index operator >>> print(lotto)
[2, 14, 28, 41, 63]
 How Long is a List?

• The len() function takes a list as a >>> greet = 'Hello Bob'

parameter and returns the number >>> print(len(greet))
of elements in the list 9
>>> x = [ 1, 2, 'joe', 99]
>>> print(len(x))
• Actually len() tells us the number of 4
elements of any set or sequence >>>
(such as a string...)
 Using the range Function
• The range function returns
>>> print(range(4))
a list of numbers that range [0, 1, 2, 3]
from zero to one less than >>> friends = ['Joseph', 'Glenn', 'Sally']
>>> print(len(friends))
the parameter 3
>>> print(list(range(len(friends))))
[0, 1, 2]
• We can construct an index >>>
loop using for and an
integer iterator
 Concatenating Lists Using +
>>> a = [1, 2, 3]
We can create a new list >>> b = [4, 5, 6]
by adding two existing >>> c = a + b
>>> print(c)
lists together
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
>>> print(a)
[1, 2, 3]
 Lists Can Be Sliced Using :
>>> t = [9, 41, 12, 3, 74, 15]
>>> t[1:3]
[41,12] Remember: Just like in
>>> t[:4] strings, the second
[9, 41, 12, 3] number is “up to but not
>>> t[3:]
including”
[3, 74, 15]
>>> t[:]
[9, 41, 12, 3, 74, 15]
 Is Something in a List?
• Python provides two operators >>> some = [1, 9, 21, 10, 16]
that let you check if an item is >>> 9 in some
True
in a list
>>> 15 in some
False
• These are logical operators >>> 20 not in some
that return True or False True
>>>
• They do not modify the list
 Lists are in Order
• A list can hold many
items and keeps
those items in the
order until we do >>> friends = [ 'Joseph', 'Glenn', 'Sally' ]
>>> friends.sort()
something to change >>> print(friends)
the order ['Glenn', 'Joseph', 'Sally']
>>> print(friends[1])
• A list can be sorted Joseph
(i.e., change its order) >>>

• The sort method

(unlike in strings)
means “sort yourself”
 Built-in Functions and Lists
>>> nums = [3, 41, 12, 9, 74, 15]
• There are a number of >>> print(len(nums))
functions built into Python 6
that take lists as >>> print(max(nums))
parameters 74
>>> print(min(nums))
3
• Remember the loops we >>> print(sum(nums))
built? These are much 154
simpler. >>> print(sum(nums)/len(nums))
25.6
 The Double Split Pattern
Sometimes we split a line one way, and then grab one of the pieces
of the line and split that piece again

From stephen.marquard@uct.ac.za Sat Jan 5 09:14:16 2008

words = line.split()
email = words[1]
print pieces[1]
 The Double Split Pattern

From stephen.marquard@uct.ac.za Sat Jan 5 09:14:16 2008

words = line.split()
email = words[1] stephen.marquard@uct.ac.za
print pieces[1]
 The Double Split Pattern

From stephen.marquard@uct.ac.za Sat Jan 5 09:14:16 2008

words = line.split()
email = words[1] stephen.marquard@uct.ac.za
pieces = email.split('@') ['stephen.marquard', 'uct.ac.za']
print pieces[1]