Python List Data Structure Overview

Study Notes

Python Lists Overview

A list in Python is a mutable, ordered collection that can hold a variety of data types.
Lists store their elements in a sequence, allowing for indexed access and maintaining the order of insertion.

Creating Lists

Lists can be created using square brackets [], with elements separated by commas, e.g., my_list = [1, 2, 3].
The list() constructor can also be used to create a list from an iterable, e.g., my_list = list((1, 2, 3)).

Mutability

Lists are mutable, which means their contents can be changed after creation without needing to create a new list.

Updating Elements

Elements in a list can be updated by accessing them via their index and assigning a new value, e.g., my_list[0] = 10.

Accessing Elements

Elements are accessed using their index in square brackets; the first element is at index 0, e.g., element = my_list[1].

Removing Elements

Elements can be removed from a list using methods like .remove(value) to delete by value, or .pop(index) to remove by index and return the element.

Mixed Data Types

A list can contain elements of different types, such as integers, strings, and other lists, allowing for versatile data structure usage.

Indexing

Python lists are zero-indexed, meaning the first element is at index 0, the second at index 1, and so forth.

Modifying Elements

When an element is modified in a list, the reference to that position in memory is updated, not the entire list, maintaining low memory overhead.

Description

Explore the basics of the list data structure in Python, including how to create a list, access elements using index, and the properties of lists. Learn about the ordered collection of items and different types of values that can be stored in a list.