Differences and Applications of List, Tuple, Set
and Dictionary in Python
Lists: are just like dynamic sized arrays, declared in other languages (vector in
C++ and ArrayList in Java). Lists need not be homogeneous always which makes
it the most powerful tool in Python.
Tuple: A Tuple is a collection of Python objects separated by commas. In some
ways, a tuple is similar to a list in terms of indexing, nested objects, and repetition
but a tuple is immutable, unlike lists that are mutable.
Set: A Set is an unordered collection data type that is iterable, mutable, and has
no duplicate elements. Python’s set class represents the mathematical notion of a
set.
Dictionary: in Python is an ordered (since Py 3.7) [unordered (Py 3.6 & prior)]
collection of data values, used to store data values like a map, which, unlike other
Data Types that hold only a single value as an element, Dictionary
holds key:value pair. Key-value is provided in the dictionary to make it more
optimized.
List, Tuple, Set, and Dictionary are the data structures in python that are used to
store and organize the data in an efficient manner.
List Tuple Set Dictionary
List is a Tuple is also a Set data structure is Dictionary is also a
non-homogeneous non-homogeneous data also non-homogeneous data
data structure that structure that stores non-homogeneous structure which stores
stores the elements in single row and multiple data structure but key value pairs
single row and rows and columns stores in single row
multiple rows and
columns
List can be represented Tuple can be represented Set can be Dictionary can be
by by represented by represented by
[ ] ( ) { } { }
List allows Tuple allows Set will not Set will not
duplicate duplicate allow duplicate allow duplicate
elements elements elements elements and
dictionary
doesn’t allow
duplicate keys.
List can use Tuple can use Set can use Dictionary can
nested among all nested among all nested among use nested among
all all
Example: Example: Example: Example:
[1,2, 3, 4, 5] (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) {1,2,3,4,5} {1,2,3,4,5}
List can be created Tuple can be created Set can be created Dictionary can be
using list() function using tuple() function. using set() function created
using dict() function.
List is mutable i.e we Tuple is immutable i.e Set is mutable i.e we Dictionary is mutable.
can make any changes we can not make any can make any But Keys are not
in list. changes in tuple changes in set. But duplicated.
elements are not
duplicated.
List is ordered Tuple is ordered Set is unordered Dictionary is ordered
(Python 3.7 and above)
Creating an empty list Creating an empty Tuple Creating a set Creating an empty
dictionary
l=[] t=() a=set()
d={}
b=set(a)
Below is the program for implementation of List, tuple, set, and dictionary:
Python3
# Python3 program for explaining
# use of list, tuple, set and
# dictionary
# Lists
l = []
# Adding Element into list
l.append(5)
l.append(10)
print("Adding 5 and 10 in list", l)
# Popping Elements from list
l.pop()
print("Popped one element from list", l)
print()
# Set
s = set()
# Adding element into set
s.add(5)
s.add(10)
print("Adding 5 and 10 in set", s)
# Removing element from set
s.remove(5)
print("Removing 5 from set", s)
print()
# Tuple
t = tuple(l)
# Tuples are immutable
print("Tuple", t)
print()
# Dictionary
d = {}
# Adding the key value pair
d[5] = "Five"
d[10] = "Ten"
print("Dictionary", d)
# Removing key-value pair
del d[10]
print("Dictionary", d)
Output
Adding 5 and 10 in list [5, 10]
Popped one element from list [5]
Adding 5 and 10 in set {10, 5}
Removing 5 from set {10}
Tuple (5,)
Dictionary {5: 'Five', 10: 'Ten'}
Dictionary {5: 'Five'}
Applications of List, Set, Tuple, and Dictionary
List:
Used in JSON format
Useful for Array operations
Used in Databases
Tuple:
Used to insert records in the database through SQL query at a time.Ex:
(1.’sravan’, 34).(2.’geek’, 35)
Used in parentheses checker
Set:
Finding unique elements
Join operations
Dictionary:
Used to create a data frame with lists
Used in JSON
