Adding a new item to an existing list in a programming language usually requires one to create a new list with the new item added to it. Python is a very simple programming language and has a function or a list method called append, which helps to solve this issue. Let us know more detail about ‘The Append Function In Python’.
The Append Function In Python
The append function in Python enables you to add a new element to the existing list without creating a new one. For instance, if we have a list of items called subjects and we omitted a particular subject called chemistry, to add this subject to the end of the list, we can simply use the append function.
The append function is usually added after the list name with a dot in between the list name and the append function. This is shown in the example below:
subject = [English, Mathematics, Biology, Physics]
To add another subject to the end of the list, we simply write;
subject. append (“Chemistry”)
The existing list now contains the subject “chemistry,” i.e.,
subject = [English, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry]
- It is important to know that the append function in Python takes a single element as an input parameter and adds it to the end of the existing list.
- The append function doesn’t return or create a new list of items. It only modifies the existing list by adding the item to the end of the list.
- However, if one wants to add an item to the beginning or middle of the list, then one will have to use the Python insert function, which works similarly to the append function. The insert function takes two parameters: the index and the element.
it can also be used to add items to the end of the list, but it is always better and faster to use the append function when one wants to add an item to the end of an existing list, as the append function doesn’t require an index number.
The Append Function In Python
To make use of the append function in Python, you must first create a list object. The list can hold any data type, be it string, Boolean, integer, etc. The append function, which is a list method, can now be used to update the existing list with the new data.
Let’s take a look at the steps below. These will guide you on how to use the append function:
Step 1: Let us create a list of items called “even number”.
even_number = [2, 4, 6, 8]
Step 2: Assuming we suddenly want to add 10, which is also an even number, to the list, we can use the append function as shown below:
even_number.append (10);
10 has now been added to the end of the existing list, and the list now looks like this:
even_number = [2, 4, 6, 8, 10].
When the item to be added to a list is a string (i.e., a word or characters), then a double quotation mark must be added before and after the word. Let us take a look at the steps below:
Step 1: Here, we create a list of colors;
colors = [blue, green, black]
Step 2: To add the red color to the list, we add the append function to the list, i.e.
colors.append ( “red” ).
Note that the red is in between the two double quotation marks.
Can I Add a List to Another List Using the Append Function?
it allows you to add a list to another existing list, that is, update an existing list with another existing list. Let’s take a look at the example below:
Step 1: Let us create a new list called the ” fruit list “;
fruit_list = [Orange, Mango, Cashew]
Step 2: Let us create another list called the “snacks list.”
snacks_list = [Meat Pie, Egg Roll, Doughnut]
Step 3: To add the snacks list to the fruit list, we write;
fruit_list.append (snacks_list)
Hence, the fruit list becomes:
fruit_list = [Orange, Mango, Cashew, Meat Pie, Egg Roll, Doughnut]
Is Python Append Function The same as the Insert Function?
it helps to add an element to the end of an existing list. The element can be an integer, string, or Boolean. While the Python insert function helps to add an element to any position (index) within the list, the insert function can be used to add an element to the beginning, middle, or end of the list.
Though both the insert and append are list methods, the procedure for using them is almost the same. However, the insert function takes in two parameters. The first parameter is the index, which is the position, while the second parameter is the element, unlike the append function, which takes only one parameter (the element only). The below code shows the difference between the append function and the insert function of Python.
- list_name.append (element)
- list_name.insert(index, element)
Conclusion:
The append function is an important Python function that enables one to add one item to a Python existing list object without creating a new list. This function can only add a single item to a list at a time as it accepts only one parameter. The insert function of Python also behaves like the append function, but the only difference is that the insert function can add an item to any index within the list i.e. any position within the list while the append function only adds an item to the end of the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between the Python append function and the Python insert function?
Answer: The Python append function adds elements to the end of the list, while the Python insert function adds elements to any position within the list.
- Does the append function in python copy the list?
Answer: No, the append function does not make a copy of the existing list; it only modifies the existing list.
- How many parameters can append function in Python take?
Answer: The Python append function can only take a single parameter, i.e., it can only accept one item and add it to the list. It doesn’t take more than one item at a time.
