Python Tip of the Day: How to Split a List in Python

Python makes it easy to split a list into smaller parts. In this Python tip of the day, we will show you how to use the split() function to do just that. This function takes a string as an input and splits it into smaller strings based on the given delimiter. Let’s take a look at how to split a list in python!

Why Python?

Python is a great language for data science and machine learning. It has many built-in features that make it easy to work with data. One of these features is the split() function. This function allows you to easily split a list into smaller parts.

How Does it Work?

The split() function takes a string as an input and splits it into smaller strings based on the given delimiter. For example, if we have a list of numbers: [0, 0, 0, 0, 0] and we want to split it into two parts: [0, 0] and [0], we can use the following code:

number_list = [0, 0, 0, 0 ,0]

first_part, second_part = number_list.split(” “, 0)

print(first_part) # [0, 0]

print(second_part) # [0]

As you can see, the split() function splits the list into two parts based on the given delimiter. In this case, we used a space as our delimiter. You can also use other delimiters such as commas or tabs.

Some benefits of using Python’s split() function are that it is easy to use and it is a built-in function. This means that you don’t need to install any additional libraries to use it.

How it makes our life easier?

The split() function makes it easy to split a list into smaller parts. This can be useful when you want to process data in smaller chunks or when you want to parallelize your code. For example, if you have a large list of numbers and you want to calculate the mean of each chunk, you can use the split() function to split the list into smaller parts easily and then calculate the mean for each part in parallel.

Also, if you have a list of strings and you want to find the longest string, you can use the split() function to split the list into smaller parts and then find the longest string in each part.

What to avoid?

When using the split() function, you should avoid using it on very large lists. This is because the function will create a new list for each part of the original list. This can lead to memory issues if the original list is very large.

Also, avoid using the split() function on lists that are not homogeneous. This is because the results of the split may not be what you expect. For example, if you have a list of numbers and strings, and you use the split() function to split it into two parts, you will end up with a list of numbers in one part and a list of strings in the other part.

Conclusion

In this Python tip of the day, we showed you how to use the split() function to easily split a list into smaller parts. We also discussed some benefits and drawbacks of using this function. Thanks for reading and happy coding!