Python List Methods

Python lists are dynamic arrays that offer a rich set of built-in methods to manipulate and process data efficiently. Below is an exhaustive list of Python list methods, along with their descriptions and usage examples.

1. append()

Description: Adds a single element to the end of the list.

Syntax: list.append(element)

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana']
fruits.append('cherry')
print(fruits)  # Output: ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

2. extend()

Description: Extends the list by appending elements from an iterable (e.g., another list, tuple, or string).

Syntax: list.extend(iterable)

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana']
more_fruits = ['cherry', 'date']
fruits.extend(more_fruits)
print(fruits)  # Output: ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'date']

3. insert()

Description: Inserts an element at a specified position.

Syntax: list.insert(index, element)

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'cherry']
fruits.insert(1, 'banana')
print(fruits)  # Output: ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

4. remove()

Description: Removes the first occurrence of a specified value.

Syntax: list.remove(element)

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
fruits.remove('banana')
print(fruits)  # Output: ['apple', 'cherry']

5. pop()

Description: Removes and returns the element at a specified position. If no index is specified, it removes and returns the last item.

Syntax: list.pop([index])

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
popped_fruit = fruits.pop(1)
print(popped_fruit)  # Output: 'banana'
print(fruits)        # Output: ['apple', 'cherry']

6. clear()

Description: Removes all elements from the list.

Syntax: list.clear()

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
fruits.clear()
print(fruits)  # Output: []

7. index()

Description: Returns the index of the first occurrence of a specified value.

Syntax: list.index(element[, start[, end]])

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'banana']
index = fruits.index('banana')
print(index)  # Output: 1

8. count()

Description: Returns the number of times a specified value appears in the list.

Syntax: list.count(element)

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'banana']
count = fruits.count('banana')
print(count)  # Output: 2

9. sort()

Description: Sorts the list in ascending order by default.

Syntax: list.sort(key=None, reverse=False)

Example:

numbers = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9]
numbers.sort()
print(numbers)  # Output: [1, 1, 3, 4, 5, 9]

10. reverse()

Description: Reverses the order of the list in place.

Syntax: list.reverse()

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
fruits.reverse()
print(fruits)  # Output: ['cherry', 'banana', 'apple']

11. copy()

Description: Returns a shallow copy of the list.

Syntax: list.copy()

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
fruits_copy = fruits.copy()
print(fruits_copy)  # Output: ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

12. len()

Description: Returns the number of items in the list.

Syntax: len(list)

Example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
print(len(fruits))  # Output: 3

13. max()

Description: Returns the largest item in the list.

Syntax: max(list)

Example:

numbers = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9]
print(max(numbers))  # Output: 9

14. min()

Description: Returns the smallest item in the list.

Syntax: min(list)

Example:

numbers = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9]
print(min(numbers))  # Output: 1

15. sum()

Description: Returns the sum of all items in the list.

Syntax: sum(list, start=0)

Example:

numbers = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9]
print(sum(numbers))  # Output: 23

16. list()

Description: Creates a list from an iterable.

Syntax: list(iterable)

Example:

string = 'hello'
char_list = list(string)
print(char_list)  # Output: ['h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o']

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