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Lists, Tuples & Dictionaries

The document provides an overview of Python's core data structures: lists, tuples, and dictionaries. It details their definitions, key features, common methods, and typical use cases, along with examples and common mistakes to avoid. Additionally, it compares these structures and highlights their real-world applications and key takeaways.

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Mercy Okanlawon
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7 views5 pages

Lists, Tuples & Dictionaries

The document provides an overview of Python's core data structures: lists, tuples, and dictionaries. It details their definitions, key features, common methods, and typical use cases, along with examples and common mistakes to avoid. Additionally, it compares these structures and highlights their real-world applications and key takeaways.

Uploaded by

Mercy Okanlawon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lists, Tuples & Dictionaries

Goal: Master Python’s core data structures—lists (mutable), tuples


(immutable), and dictionaries (key-value pairs).

1. Lists

 Definition: Ordered, mutable collections of items.


 Syntax: Enclosed in [].
fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]
mixed_list = [10, "hello", 3.14, True]

Key Features:

 Mutable: Modify, add, or remove items.


 Indexable: Access items via indices (e.g., fruits[0] → "apple").
 Methods:

o .append(item): Add to the end.

o .insert(index, item): Insert at a specific position.

o .remove(item): Delete the first occurrence.

o .pop(index): Remove and return an item.

Example:

numbers = [1, 2, 3]
numbers.append(4) # [1, 2, 3, 4]
numbers.insert(1, 99) # [1, 99, 2, 3, 4]
numbers.pop(2) # Removes 2 → [1, 99, 3, 4]

Common Mistakes:

 Indexing beyond the list length (e.g., accessing list[14] for a 14-
element list → raises IndexError).
 Confusing .append() with .extend():
nums = [1, 2]
nums.append([3, 4]) # [1, 2, [3, 4]]
nums.extend([3, 4]) # [1, 2, 3, 4]

2. Tuples

 Definition: Ordered, immutable collections.


 Syntax: Enclosed in ().
coordinates = (4, 5)
rgb = ("red", "green", "blue")

Key Features:

 Immutable: Cannot modify after creation.


 Use Cases: Fixed data (e.g., days of the week, database records).
 Packing/Unpacking:
point = (3, 7)
x, y = point # x=3, y=7

Extended Unpacking:

values = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
a, *b, c = values # a=1, b=[2,3,4], c=5

Common Mistakes:

 Trying to modify a tuple:


rgb[0] = "pink" # TypeError: Tuples are immutable!

3. Dictionaries

 Definition: Unordered collections of key-value pairs.


 Syntax: Enclosed in {}, with key: value pairs.
user = {"name": "Alice", "age": 30, "is_student": False}

Key Features:
 Mutable: Add, update, or delete key-value pairs.
 Keys: Must be unique and immutable (e.g., strings, numbers,
tuples).
 Methods:

o .get(key, default): Returns value or default if key is missing.

o .update(other_dict): Merge dictionaries.

o .keys(): Returns all keys.

o .values(): Returns all values.

Example:

grades = {"math": 90, "science": 85}


grades["history"] = 88 # Add new key
print(grades.get("art", 0)) # Output: 0 (key not found)
grades.update({"math": 95}) # Update existing key

Common Mistakes:

 Using mutable keys (e.g., lists):


invalid_dict = {[1, 2]: "data"} # TypeError: Unhashable type.

 Case sensitivity: grades.get("Math") ≠ grades["math"].

4. Comparing Data Structures

Feature List Tuple Dictionary

Mutable? Yes No Yes (keys)

Ordered
Yes Yes No (Python 3.7+ preserves insertion order)
?

Fixed
Use Case Dynamic data Key-value mappings
data
5. Iterating Through Data Structures

1. Lists/Tuples:
for item in fruits:
print(item)

2. Dictionaries:
for key, value in user.items():
print(f"{key}: {value}")

Example:
python

Copy
Download
sentence = "the quick brown fox"
word_counts = {}
for word in sentence.split():
word_counts[word] = len(word)
# Output: {"the": 3, "quick": 5, "brown": 5, "fox": 3}

6. Common Pitfalls

1. Accidental Aliasing:
list1 = [1, 2, 3]
list2 = list1 # Both point to the same object!
list2.append(4) # Modifies list1 too!

Fix: Use list2 = list1.copy().


2. Overwriting Keys:
data = {"a": 1, "a": 2} # Last key wins → {"a": 2}.

3. Assuming Order in Dictionaries:

o Pre-Python 3.7, dictionaries don’t preserve order.

7. Real-World Applications
1. Lists:

o Storing user inputs.


o Managing dynamic datasets (e.g., sensor readings).
2. Tuples:

o Representing fixed configurations (e.g., RGB values).


o Returning multiple values from functions.
3. Dictionaries:

o JSON data handling.


o Counting occurrences (e.g., word frequency).

8. Key Takeaways

1. Lists for flexible, ordered collections.


2. Tuples for immutable data.
3. Dictionaries for efficient key-value lookups.
4. Avoid indexing errors and unintended mutations.

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