Python - Built in Functions Part 4: Iterable and Sequence Manipulation Functions

These functions work with collections like lists, tuples, and dictionaries.

Common Functions:

len(): Returns the length of an iterable.

sum(): Calculates the sum of elements in an iterable.

sorted(): Returns a sorted version of an iterable.

reversed(): Returns a reversed iterator.

enumerate(): Adds an index to elements of an iterable.

Examples:

Calculate the length of a list:

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]

print(len(fruits))  # Output: 3

Sort a list of numbers:

nums = [5, 2, 9, 1]

print(sorted(nums))  # Output: [1, 2, 5, 9]

Enumerate items in a list:

for index, fruit in enumerate(fruits):

    print(index, fruit)

# Output:

# 0 apple

# 1 banana

# 2 cherry

Explanation:

Functions like len() and sorted() are indispensable for analyzing and organizing data. These functions allow for quick operations like finding the size of a dataset, reordering items, or attaching indices for structured access.