CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythonlistintegerindices
user2208569
user2208569

Reputation: 109

Deleting a list within a list

I have a list that looks like this

x = [ [ [[guy, 100], [guy, 200]],
      [[guy, 50], [guy, 60]]  ]
    [ [[guy, 10], [guy, 20]],
      [[guy, 5], [guy, 6]]  ] ]

Each small list, is a guy, and the amount of time he has left before I delete him. I am trying to do it like this:

del x[0][0][0]

The error I keep getting is:

TypeError: List indices must be integers not lists.

I know what that error means, but I haven't found any great way of deleting that list. The only suggestions I've heard are

del x[0][0][0][:]

Which gives me the same error and:

x[0][0][0] = []

Which also gives me the same error.

The reality here is that this is a simplified version of my code. The 0's are actually loop variables in my real code.

Is the error that I am calling a list to identify the location of a list, or is it just that I'm deleting everything improperly?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 55

Answers (2)

Andrew
Andrew

Reputation: 124

I'm not sure what caused your need for this style of "3-D" array like storage for your objects. You should be able to accomplish your task using a 1-D array and encapsulation of the time inside a class.

class guy:
    def __init__(self, time):
        self.timeBeforeDelete = time

    def __str__(self):
        return "{0}".format(self.timeBeforeDelete)

def printList(aList):
    for item in aList:
        print item

if __name__ == '__main__':
    x = [guy(100), guy(200), guy(50), guy(60), guy(10), guy(20), guy(5), guy(6)]
    printList(x)
    del x[1]
    printList(x)

This code allows you to delete freely from the list and keeps the complexity of the program to a minimum. Is there any specific reason that you are using the nested list structure that you are? To speak more to your error, you actually have a syntax error.

x = [ [ [[guy, 100], [guy, 200]],
      [[guy, 50], [guy, 60]]  ],
    [ [[guy, 10], [guy, 20]],
      [[guy, 5], [guy, 6]]  ] ]

You were missing a comma to separate list items. This now works but this list structure really should be avoided since it makes accessing items in the list very cumbersome.

Upvotes: 0

enrico.bacis
enrico.bacis

Reputation: 31494

You missed a comma at the end of the second line. It should be:

x = [ [ [[guy, 100], [guy, 200]],
        [[guy, 50], [guy, 60]] ],
      [ [[guy, 10], [guy, 20]],
        [[guy, 5], [guy, 6]] ] ]

In fact the error you say doesn't come from del command but from the list definition.

You should also consider structuring your data in a better way.

Upvotes: 1

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