{"id":51017,"date":"2020-07-22T16:15:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-22T16:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icrowdnewswire.com\/?p=2667087"},"modified":"2020-07-22T16:15:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T16:15:00","slug":"when-to-use-lists-vs-dictionaries-in-python","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ipsnews.net\/business\/2020\/07\/22\/when-to-use-lists-vs-dictionaries-in-python\/","title":{"rendered":"When to use lists vs dictionaries in Python"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

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\"how<\/p>\n

One of the most fundamental and simple skills to learn as a new coder, is how to create a list in Python. But when you also have the option to create dictionaries – which are potentially more powerful – the question becomes why you should need this skill!<\/p>\n

In this post, we’ll break down how to create a list in Python and when you should choose one over a dictionary.<\/p>\n

How to create a list in Python and what they are for<\/h2>\n

In programming, a list is a variable that contains lots of other <\/strong>variables. These are added to the list in a sequential order that can then be referenced at any time. In Python, a list can contain multiple data types: strings, integers, booleans, and more.<\/p>\n

Thus, the types of lists you build in Python will often be similar to the lists you create in real life: lists of names, lists of phone numbers, lists of places… etc.<\/p>\n

Learning how to create a list in Python is extremely easy. Simply define a variable using square brackets, then separate the elements in the list by commas:<\/p>\n

JAVA<\/span>SELECT ALL<\/a><\/div>\n
toDoList = [\"Take out trash\"<\/span>, \"Wish Dad happy birthday\"<\/span>, \"Answer emails\"<\/span>]<\/pre>\n
We can then print the items in this list to the screen:<\/p>\n
PYTHON<\/span>SELECT ALL<\/a><\/div>\n
for<\/span> x in<\/span> range(0<\/span>, len(toDoList)):\r\n\r\n   print(toDoList[x])<\/pre>\n
Or, we can print individual items from that list:<\/p>\n
PHP<\/span>SELECT ALL<\/a><\/div>\n
print<\/span>(toDoList[3<\/span>])<\/pre>\n
Or a range:<\/p>\n
CSS<\/span>SELECT ALL<\/a><\/div>\n
toDoList<\/span>[1:2]<\/span><\/pre>\n
(Remember, the second digit is not inclusive, and the first position on any list is indexed as “0.”)<\/p>\n
At any point, we can now add items to the list, or insert them at specific locations in the list. For instance:<\/p>\n
JAVA<\/span>SELECT ALL<\/a><\/div>\n
toDoList.append(\"Defrost chicken\"<\/span>)<\/pre>\n
This will add the item to the end of the list.<\/p>\n
If you want to know how to create a list in Python that’s empty, that’s also extremely straightforward:<\/p>\n
SELECT ALL<\/a><\/div>\n
toDoList = []<\/pre>\n
JAVA<\/span>SELECT ALL<\/a><\/div>\n
toDoList.insert(2<\/span>, \"Send invoice\"<\/span>)<\/pre>\n
It’s now possible to use append and insert to populate the list programmatically. If we want to remove items, we use:<\/p>\n
SELECT ALL<\/a><\/div>\n
toDoList.remove(3)<\/pre>\n
And that is how to create a list in Python!<\/p>\n
If you want to know more about this, check out the following post:<\/p>\n