Mike Nickey wrote:
While i'm still not sure what lamda is or represents, I've found a solution.
Unfortunately, you haven't. It's only by accident that your not-quite-solution
gives the correct value for the example data.
Try it with this data instead:
[(1, 7), (1, 3), (3, 4, 8), (2, 2)]
required result: [(2, 2), (1, 3), (3, 4, 8), (1, 7)]
your result: [(2, 2), (1, 3), (1, 7), (3, 4, 8)]
This seems to work:
def sort_last(tuples):
return sorted(tuples, key=myDef)
You have the right idea: sort the list of tuples, using a custom key function.
But you have misunderstood the question. Earlier you said:
"What is being asked is to sort tuples based on the SECOND element of the
tuple in ascending order." [emphasis added]
not the last element.
Remember that elements are numbered from 0, so the first element of a tuple
has index 0, the second element has index 1, the third index 2, and so forth;
also you can index from the end: the last element is -1, the second element is
-2, and so forth.
You also asked what "lamda" is. Nothing -- it doesn't exist. However lambda
(note the spelling) does exist, and it is a Python short-cut for creating an
anonymous function.
(For the record, lambda is the Greek letter L. There is a field of computer
science called "lambda calculus" which is very important to the theory of
computing, and involves the deep fundamentals of functions and functional
programming.)
The syntax is:
lambda arguments : expression
which is a short-cut for:
def func(arguments):
return expression
except that no "func" variable is created (the anonymous part). An example
might make this more clear:
lambda x, y=2: 3*x + y
creates an anonymous function object which takes one required argument x, and
one optional argument y defaulting to 2, and returns the value of 3*x + y.
You should consider lambda to be entirely optional, and moderately advanced.
Using lambda is never *necessary*, but sometimes it is convenient.
--
Steven
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