On Tue, 21 Oct 2014 00:40:06 -0700, Larry Hudson <org...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On 10/20/2014 12:49 PM, Seymore4Head wrote: >> On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 20:40:18 +0100, MRAB <pyt...@mrabarnett.plus.com> >> wrote: >> > <snip> > >> Do you have to know the number of items the list will have before >> making it? >> > >No. Lists are NOT the same as arrays in other languages. But it IS possible >to create an >initial list of a specific size: > >myList = [None] * 50 > >This creates a 50-element list with each element set to None. (BTW, that >makes the indexes >0-49, not 0-50.) I have occasionally found this useful, but I emphasize it is >only RARELY >useful. The .append() method is far more versatile. > >As to your original problem: my question to you is what is your purpose? > >1) To solve this particular problem, using Python. > or >2) To explore the usage of lists by applying them to this problem. > >If your purpose is the first, then I agree with the advice you have already >been given here -- >dictionaries are a much better fit to this problem. > >If your purpose is the second, then go ahead, have at it. But realize that to >more experienced >Pythonistas this approach the very un-pythonic for this problem. It would be >even better to try >multiple approaches -- lists, dictionaries, lists with dictionaries, >dictionaries with lists or >tuples... or whatever combination you can come up with. This will give you >even more >experience and allow you to evaluate these various techniques. > >And no, I won't give you a ready-made "canned" answer. For one thing your >original description >is much too vague. But good luck! > > -=- Larry -=- Also, I had no need to impose a limit on the list, but I asked that question, just in case. Thanks -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
