02_lists.ipynb

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   "source": [
    "# Lists\n",
    "\n",
    "Lists provide a simple way to hold a collection of values. You create a list using square brackets. For example, here we can create a list that contains the values \"cat\", \"dog\" and \"horse\"\n",
    "\n",
    "```python\n",
    "a =[ \"cat\", \"dog\", \"horse\" ]\n",
    "```"
   ]
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   "cell_type": "code",
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   "source": [
    "a = [\"cat\", \"dog\", \"horse\"]"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
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   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "print(a)"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
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   "source": [
    "You can access the items in the list by placing the index of the item in square brackets. The first item is at index 0"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "a[0]"
   ]
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   "source": [
    "The second item is at index 1, and the third item at index 2."
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "a[2]"
   ]
  },
  {
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   "source": [
    "What do you think will happen if we access the item at index 3?"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
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   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "a[3]"
   ]
  },
  {
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   "source": [
    "You can also access the items in the list from the back. What do you think is at index -1?"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "a[-1]"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
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   "source": [
    "What about index -2, -3 or -4?"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "a[-3]"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "You can add items onto a list by using the `.append` function. You can find this using tab completion and Python help..."
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "help(a.append)"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
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   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "a.append(\"fish\")"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
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   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "a"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "a[3]"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "You can put whatever you want into a list, including other lists!"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {
    "collapsed": true
   },
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "b = [ 42, 15, a, [7,8,9] ]"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "b[3]"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "Putting lists inside lists allows for multidimensional lookup, e.g. can you work out why `b[3][2]` equals `9`?"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "b[3][2]"
   ]
  },
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   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "You can loop over the items in a list using a for loop, e.g."
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
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   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "for x in a:\n",
    "    print(x)"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "You can get the number of items in the list using the `len` function."
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "len(a)"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "You can use this as an alternative way of looping over the elements of a list"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "for i in range(0,len(a)):\n",
    "    print(a[i])"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "A string behaves like a list of letters. For example, if we have the string `s = \"Hello World\"`, then `s[0]` is \"H\" and `s[-1]` is d."
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {
    "collapsed": true
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   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "s = \"Hello World\""
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "s[-1]"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "You can loop over every letter in a string in the same way that you can loop over every item in a list."
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "for letter in s:\n",
    "    print(letter)"
   ]
  },
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   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "# Exercises\n",
    "\n",
    "## Exercise 1\n",
    "\n",
    "Create two Python lists called `a` and `b`. Put into these lists the values [2, 4, 6, 8], and [10, 20, 30, 40].\n",
    "Check that `a[2]` equals `6` and `b[-1]` equals 40. (note that you will need to use the menu \"Insert | Insert Cell Below\" to insert more cells below to create space for your code)"
   ]
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   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "## Exercise 2\n",
    "\n",
    "Now create a loop that loops over each item in `a` and `b` and that calculates and prints out the product `a[i] * b[i]`."
   ]
  },
  {
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   "source": [
    "## Exercise 3\n",
    "\n",
    "Modify your code to create a list called `c`. Use the `.append` function to set `c[i] = a[i] * b[i]`. Check your code by making sure that `c[-1]` equals 320."
   ]
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