Difference between list, tuple, set, and dictionary in Python
This article is created to differentiate the four built-in data structures in Python that are used to store collections of data. The four built-in data structures that are differentiated here are:
The table below distinguishes between the four built-in data structures in Python.
| List | Tuple | Dictionary | Set |
|---|---|---|---|
| ordered | ordered | ordered | unordered |
| mutable (changeable) | immutable (unchangeable) | mutable | If created with set, it is mutable. If created with frozenset, it is immutable. |
| allows duplicates | allows duplicates | does not allow duplicates | does not allow duplicates |
| List items enclosed within [] | Tuple items are enclosed within () | Dictionary items enclosed within {} | Set items enclosed within {} |
| Lists can be created using list() | Tuples can be created using tuple() | Dictionaries can be created using dict() | Set can be created using set() |
Lists are ordered sequences of elements that can be changed. This means that you can change, add, or remove items from a list after it has been made. Lists are made by putting a series of values separated by commas inside square brackets []. For instance:
my_list = [10, 20, "codes", "cracker"]
Tuples are like lists, but their values can't be changed once they're made. Tuples are made by putting a list of values separated by commas between parentheses (). For instance:
my_tuple = (10, 20, "codes", "cracker")
Unordered collections of distinct elements make up sets. This implies that every component of a set must be distinct. A comma-separated list of values is enclosed in curly braces to form sets. For instance:
my_set = {10, 20, "codes", "cracker"}
Dictionaries are collections of key-value pairs that are not ordered. A dictionary's keys must each uniquely correspond to a value. Curly braces are used to enclose key-value pairs in dictionaries, which are key-value pairs separated by commas. For instance:
my_dict = {"key1": "value1", "key2": "value2", "key3": "value3", "key4": "value4"}
Tuples and lists are both ordered sequences of elements, but tuples are immutable and lists are mutable. Dictionary entries are key-value pairs, while sets are unordered collections of distinct elements.
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