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Python Python Collections (Retired) Lists Redux Manipulating Lists

Timothy Bass
Timothy Bass
888 Points
Posted by Timothy Bass
Timothy Bass
888 Points

Challenge Task 2 of 3 - works in workspace.... but sadly

So this works in the work space with an output of [1, 2, 3, [1, 2, 3]]

But not in the 'homework' part of it.

lists.py 
the_list = ["a", 2, 3, 1, False, [1, 2, 3]]

# Your code goes below here
the_list.insert(0, (the_list.pop(3)))

for item in the_list:
  if isinstance(item, str) or isinstance(item, bool):
    the_list.remove(item)

print(the_list)

1 Answer

Chris Freeman
MOD
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,423 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,423 Points

Kudos for taking taken a unique approach. Two aspects need fixing.

  • Also check for the type list
  • and it's almost never a good idea to manipulate the list you looping over as it causes index errors Use a copy instead:
the_list = ["a", 2, 3, 1, False, [1, 2, 3]]

# Your code goes below here
the_list.insert(0, (the_list.pop(3)))

for item in the_list[:]:  # <-- use [:] to signify a copy
  if isinstance(item, str) or isinstance(item, bool) or isinstance(item, list):  # <-- added 'list' check
    the_list.remove(item)

Also, the print(the_list) is unnecessary.

Others that have solved this challenged used a more brute force approach of:

the_list.remove(False)
the_list.remove("a")
the_list.remove([1, 2, 3])
dmitryburyi
dmitryburyi
225 Points

Chris, could you please briefly explain why the code below doesn't remove the list ([1,2,3]) in case if a copy ([:]) is not created. Thanks. 

for item in the_list[:]:  # <-- use [:] to signify a copy
  if isinstance(item, str) or isinstance(item, bool) or isinstance(item, list):
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,423 Points
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman
Treehouse Moderator 68,423 Points

Expanding the code to add print statements and clarify the test case:

the_list = ["a", 2, 3, 4, 1, False, [1, 2, 3]]

# Your code goes below here
the_list.insert(0, (the_list.pop(4)))

for item in the_list[:]:  # <-- use [:] to signify a copy
  if isinstance(item, str) or isinstance(item, bool) or isinstance(item, list):  # <-- added 'list' check
    print('removing item ', item, ' from ', the_list)
    the_list.remove(item)

print('final list: ', the_list)

Results in:

removing item  a  from  [1, 'a', 2, 3, 4, False, [1, 2, 3]]
removing item  False  from  [1, 2, 3, 4, False, [1, 2, 3]]
removing item  [1, 2, 3]  from  [1, 2, 3, 4, [1, 2, 3]]
final list:  [1, 2, 3, 4]

Removing copy:

the_list = ["a", 2, 3, 4, 1, False, [1, 2, 3]]

# Your code goes below here
the_list.insert(0, (the_list.pop(4)))

for item in the_list:  # <-- removed [:] 
  if isinstance(item, str) or isinstance(item, bool) or isinstance(item, list):  # <-- added 'list' check
    print('removing item ', item, ' from ', the_list)
    the_list.remove(item)

print('final list: ', the_list)

Results in:

removing item  a  from  [1, 'a', 2, 3, 4, False, [1, 2, 3]]
removing item  False  from  [1, 2, 3, 4, False, [1, 2, 3]]
final list:  [1, 2, 3, 4, [1, 2, 3]]

The list [1, 2, 3] is not removed because the container iterated over by the for loop is shrinking as each item is removed.

In the loop, the next item from the iterable the_list is referenced by index: 0, 1, 2, 3, ....

Using [1, "a", 2, 3, 4, False, [1, 2, 3]]

  • First loop [0] is 1
  • Next loop [1] is "a" which is removed; 2 shifts to index [1]
  • Next loop [2] is 3
  • Next loop [3] is 4
  • Next loop [4] is False which is removed; [1, 2, 3] shifts to index [4]
  • Next loop exits because there is nothing at index [5].

The item [1, 2, 3] had shifted to index [4] due to the items removed effectively being skipped in the loop. Checking 2 was also skipped.

dmitryburyi
dmitryburyi
225 Points

Thanks, Chris!