Iterating a list in Python

Python is a powerful and popular language that is widely used for its simplicity and efficiency in programming. One of the most commonly used data structures in Python is the list. A list is an ordered collection of elements that can store different types of data. Iterating a list in Python simply means traversing through each element of the list in sequence. In this tutorial, we will take an in-depth look at iterating a list in Python and explore various techniques to effectively access and manipulate its elements. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced programmer, this tutorial will help you understand the basics of iterating lists in Python. So let's get started!

Iterating a list in Python :

We can iterate a list in Python using :

• simple for loop
• enumerate() function

Iterating Python list using the for loop :

• We can use a for loop to iterate over a list in Python.
• The basic syntax of list iteration is as follows :

for item in list_name:
 	# implement logic
 
 

• In every iteration, one element in assigned to the item variable.
• the iterations begin with the first element of the list and goes till the last.
• We can then use this item variable to implement our logic.
• Code Sample : 

my_list = [1, 2, 3, 4]

# iterating the list
for item in my_list:
    print("item = ", item)
    
# Output
# item =  1
# item =  2
# item =  3
# item =  4


    

Iterating Python list using the enumerate() function :

• Sometimes we need the value of the list item as well as its index inside our loop body.
• For this purpose python provides an  enumerate()  function.
• enumerate() function return the list element and its index as a tuple.
• The syntax of list iteration using enumerate is as follows :

 
for index, item in enumerate(list_name):
 	# implement logic
 
 

• We can also specify the starting index in the enumerate function.
• The iterations will start from this start index.
• The syntax of list iteration using enumerate and start index is as follows :

for index, item in enumerate(list_name, start_index):
 	# implement logic
 	
 	

• Code Sample : 

my_list = [1, 2, 3, 4]

# iterating using enumerate function
for index, item in enumerate(my_list):
    print(f"Item {item} is at index {index}")


# Output    
# Item 1 is at index 0
# Item 2 is at index 1
# Item 3 is at index 2
# Item 4 is at index 3