CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythonsortingreversedifference
Elias
Elias

Reputation: 11

Difference between sort and sorted and their reverse in python?

I was trying to grasp my head around the difference between .sort() and sorted() and their reverse in python but I don't seem to get any. Any help?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1073

Answers (4)

user13606842
user13606842

Reputation:

The difference between sort and sorted is that sorted(list) returns a copy of the list without changing it, while list.sort() changes the list.

Therefore, sorted is a static method, while sort is a list instance method.

Upvotes: 0

OJW
OJW

Reputation: 11

.sort() is a list method whereas sorted() is a built-in function but they effectively do the same thing. For example...

my_list = [2,6,5,1,3]
my_list.sort()
print(my_list)

>>>[1, 2, 3, 5, 6]

The sort() method changes the my_list variable. You can add a reverse = True parameter into the parenthesis to reverse the list...

my_list = [2,6,5,1,3]
my_list.sort(reverse = True)
print(my_list)

>>>[6, 5, 3, 2, 1]

The sorted() function is different as it cannot chnage the my_list variable. eg...

my_list = [2,6,5,1,3]
sorted(my_list)
print(my_list)

>>>[2, 6, 5, 1, 3]

Instead you can assign the sorted(my_list) to a new variable...

my_list = [2,6,5,1,3]
new_list = sorted(my_list)
print(new_list)

>>>[1, 2, 3, 5, 6]

And if you want to reverse this list you can add reverse = True into the parenthesis...

my_list = [2,6,5,1,3]
variable = sorted(my_list, reverse = True)
print(variable)

>>>[6, 5, 3, 2, 1]

Upvotes: 1

klv0000
klv0000

Reputation: 174

I think .sort() is a list method which sorts the list and sorted is a builtin function which accpets some iterable object and returns its sorted copy

Upvotes: 0

Roy2012
Roy2012

Reputation: 12523

The difference is that sorted(l) returns a copy of l without changing it, while l.sort() changes l. See the example below:

l = [3, 2, 4, 5, 1, 7]
l.sort()
==> returns None, but changes l

print(l)  # As you can see, l is now sorted. 
==> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7] 

# Create an unsorted list, again
l = [3, 2, 4, 5, 1, 7]

print(sorted(l)) 
==> [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7]  # sorted(l) returns a sorted list 

print(l)   # but l itself didn't change. 
==> [3, 2, 4, 5, 1, 7]

Upvotes: 3

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