Python List: Beginner Python tutorials 6 | Better4Code

Python List: Python is a powerful programming language that is widely used in various fields such as data science, web development, and machine learning. One of the most commonly used data structures in Python is the list. A list is a collection of ordered elements that can be of any data type such as integers, strings, or even other lists. In this article, we will explore the basics of Python lists and their usage with examples.

Creating Python Lists

To create a list in Python, you can use square brackets [] with elements separated by commas. Here’s an example:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

In this example, we have created a list of fruits with three elements.

 

Accessing List Elements

To access a specific element in a list, you can use the index of the element inside square brackets. Python uses zero-based indexing, which means the first element has an index of 0. Here’s an example:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
print(fruits[0])

Output:

"apple"

In this example, we have accessed the first element in the list, which is “apple”, by using the index 0.

 

Slicing Python Lists

You can also access a range of elements in a list by using slicing. Slicing is done by specifying the start and end indices separated by a colon : inside square brackets. Here’s an example:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange", "kiwi"]
print(fruits[1:4])

Output:

["banana", "cherry", "orange"]

In this example, we have used slicing to access the elements from index 1 to index 3 (exclusive) in the list, which are “banana”, “cherry”, and “orange”.

 

Adding and Removing Elements

You can add elements to a list using the append() method, which adds the element to the end of the list. Here’s an example:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
fruits.append("orange")
print(fruits)

Output:

["apple", "banana", "cherry", "orange"]

In this example, we have added the element “orange” to the end of the list using the append() method.

To remove an element from a list, you can use the remove() method, which removes the first occurrence of the specified element. Here’s an example:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
fruits.remove("banana")
print(fruits)

Output:

["apple", "cherry"]

In this example, we have removed the element “banana” from the list using the remove() method.

 

Conclusion

Python Lists are fundamental data structure in Python that are used to store collections of elements. In this article, we have explored how to create lists, access elements, slice lists, and add or remove elements from a list. By mastering the usage of lists, you can write more efficient and effective Python code for various applications.