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Python List: pop() Method

pop() Method

The pop() method is used to remove the item at the given position in a list, and return it. If no index is specified, a.pop() removes and returns the last item in the list.

Visual Explanation:

Python List: pop() method

Syntax:

list.pop([i])

Parameters:

Optional. A number indicating the position of the element to be removed. Default value is -1, which returns the last item.

Return Value:

Return the removed element.

Example 1: Remove an item at the given index from the list


colors = ['Red', 'Green', 'Orange', 'Pink']
print("Original List:")
print(colors)
print("Remove and return the 3rd item:")
return_item = colors.pop(2)
print('Return Value:', return_item)
print('Updated List:', colors)

Output:

Original List:
['Red', 'Green', 'Orange', 'Pink']
Remove and return the 3rd item:
Return Value: Orange
Updated List: ['Red', 'Green', 'Pink']

Example 2: Remove item from a list using pop() method


colors = ['Red', 'Green', 'Orange', 'Pink']
print("Original List:")
print(colors)
print("Remove and return the last item:")
print('Return Value:', colors.pop())
print('Updated List:', colors)
colors = ['Red', 'Green', 'Orange', 'Pink']
print("\nOriginal List:")
print(colors)
print("Remove and return the last item using index value:")
print('Return Value:', colors.pop(-1))
print('Updated List:', colors)
colors = ['Red', 'Green', 'Orange', 'Pink']
print("\nOriginal List:")
print(colors)
print("Remove and return the second last item using index value:")
print('Return Value:', colors.pop(-2))
print('Updated List:', colors)

Output:

Original List:
['Red', 'Green', 'Orange', 'Pink']
Remove and return the last item:
Return Value: Pink
Updated List: ['Red', 'Green', 'Orange']

Original List:
['Red', 'Green', 'Orange', 'Pink']
Remove and return the last item using index value:
Return Value: Pink
Updated List: ['Red', 'Green', 'Orange']

Original List:
['Red', 'Green', 'Orange', 'Pink']
Remove and return the second last item using index value:
Return Value: Orange
Updated List: ['Red', 'Green', 'Pink']

Python Code Editor:

Previous: Python List insert() Method.
Next: Python List remove() Method.

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Python: Tips of the Day

Kwargs:

**kwargs and *args are function arguments that can be very useful.

They are quite underused and often under-understood as well.

Let's try to explain what kwargs are and how to use them.

  • While *args are used to pass arguments at an unknown amount to functions, **kwargs are used to do the same but with named arguments.
  • So, if *args is a list being passed as an argument, you can think of **kwargs as a dictionary that's being passed as an argument to a function.
  • You can use arguments as you wish as long as you follow the correct order which is: arg1, arg2, *args, **kwargs. It's okay to use only one of those but you can't mix the order, for instance, you can't have: function(**kwargs, arg1), that'd be a major faux pas in Python.
  • Another example: You can do function(*args,**kwargs) since it follows the correct order.
  • Here is an example. Let's say satelites are given with their names and weight in tons in dictionary format. Code prints their weight as kilograms along with their names.
def payloads(**kwargs):
    for key, value in kwargs.items():
        print( key+" |||", float(value)*100)
payloads(NavSat1 = '2.5', BaysatG2 = '4')

Output:

NavSat1 ||| 250.0
BaysatG2 ||| 400.0

Since the function above would work for any number of dictionary keys, **kwargs makes perfect sense rather than passing arguments with a fixed amount.

def payloads(**kwargs):
    for key, value in kwargs.items():
        print( key+" |||", float(value)*100)

sats={"Tx211":"3", "V1":"0.50"}
payloads(**sats)

Output:

Tx211 ||| 300.0
V1 ||| 50.0