Python Programming Tutorial

Arrays in Python

ParameterDetails

bRepresents signed integer of size 1 byte

BRepresents unsigned integer of size 1 byte

cRepresents character of size 1 byte

uRepresents unicode character of size 2 bytes

hRepresents signed integer of size 2 bytes

HRepresents unsigned integer of size 2 bytes

iRepresents signed integer of size 2 bytes

IRepresents unsigned integer of size 2 bytes

wRepresents unicode character of size 4 bytes

lRepresents signed integer of size 4 bytes

LRepresents unsigned integer of size 4 bytes

fRepresents floating point of size 4 bytes

dRepresents floating point of size 8 bytes

“Arrays” in Python are not the arrays in conventional programming languages like C and Java, but closer to lists. A list can be a collection of either homogeneous or heterogeneous elements, and may contain ints, strings or other lists.

Section 17.1: Access individual elements through indexes

Individual elements can be accessed through indexes. Python arrays are zero-indexed. Here is an example:

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) print(my_array[1])

# 2

print(my_array[2])

# 3

print(my_array[0])

# 1

Section 17.2: Basic Introduction to Arrays

An array is a data structure that stores values of same data type. In Python, this is the main difference between arrays and lists.

While python lists can contain values corresponding to different data types, arrays in python can only contain values corresponding to same data type. In this tutorial, we will understand the Python arrays with few examples.

If you are new to Python, get started with the Python Introduction article.

To use arrays in python language, you need to import the standard array module. This is because array is not a fundamental data type like strings, integer etc. Here is how you can import array module in python :

from array import *

Once you have imported the array module, you can declare an array. Here is how you do it:

arrayIdentifierName = array(typecode, [Initializers])

In the declaration above, arrayIdentifierName is the name of array, typecode lets python know the type of array and Initializers are the values with which array is initialized.

Typecodes are the codes that are used to define the type of array values or the type of array. The table in the parameters section shows the possible values you can use when declaring an array and it’s type.

Here is a real world example of python array declaration :

my_array = array(‘i’,[1,2,3,4])

In the example above, typecode used is i. This typecode represents signed integer whose size is 2 bytes.

Here is a simple example of an array containing 5 integers

from array import *

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) for i in my_array:

print(i)

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Section 17.3: Append any value to the array using append() method

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) my_array.append(6)

# array(‘i’, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6])

Note that the value 6 was appended to the existing array values.

Section 17.4: Insert value in an array using insert() method

We can use the insert() method to insert a value at any index of the array. Here is an example :

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) my_array.insert(0,0)

#array(‘i’, [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5])

In the above example, the value 0 was inserted at index 0. Note that the first argument is the index while second argument is the value.

Section 17.5: Extend python array using extend() method

A python array can be extended with more than one value using extend() method. Here is an example :

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5])

my_extnd_array = array(‘i’, [7,8,9,10]) my_array.extend(my_extnd_array)

# array(‘i’, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10])

We see that the array my_array was extended with values from my_extnd_array.

Section 17.6: Add items from list into array using fromlist() method

Here is an example:

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) c=[11,12,13] my_array.fromlist(c)

# array(‘i’, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13])

So we see that the values 11,12 and 13 were added from list c to my_array.

Section 17.7: Remove any array element using remove() method

Here is an example :

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) my_array.remove(4)

# array(‘i’, [1, 2, 3, 5])

We see that the element 4 was removed from the array.

Section 17.8: Remove last array element using pop() method

pop removes the last element from the array. Here is an example :

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) my_array.pop()

# array(‘i’, [1, 2, 3, 4])

So we see that the last element (5) was popped out of array.

Section 17.9: Fetch any element through its index using index() method

index() returns first index of the matching value. Remember that arrays are zero-indexed.

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) print(my_array.index(5))

# 5

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,3,5]) print(my_array.index(3))

# 3

Note in that second example that only one index was returned, even though the value exists twice in the array

Section 17.10: Reverse a python array using reverse() method

The reverse() method does what the name says it will do – reverses the array. Here is an example :

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) my_array.reverse()

# array(‘i’, [5, 4, 3, 2, 1])

Section 17.11: Get array buer information through buer_info() method

This method provides you the array buffer start address in memory and number of elements in array. Here is an example:

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) my_array.buffer_info()

(33881712, 5)

Section 17.12: Check for number of occurrences of an element using count() method

count() will return the number of times and element appears in an array. In the following example we see that the value 3occurs twice.

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,3,5]) my_array.count(3)

# 2

Section 17.13: Convert array to string using tostring() method

tostring() converts the array to a string.

my_char_array = array(‘c’, [‘g’,‘e’,‘e’,‘k’])

# array(‘c’, ‘geek’)

print(my_char_array.tostring())

# geek

Section 17.14: Convert array to a python list with same elements using tolist() method

When you need a Python list object, you can utilize the tolist() method to convert your array to a list.

my_array = array(‘i’, [1,2,3,4,5]) c = my_array.tolist()

# [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Section 17.15: Append a string to char array using fromstring() method

You are able to append a string to a character array using fromstring()

my_char_array = array(‘c’, [‘g’,‘e’,‘e’,‘k’]) my_char_array.fromstring(“stuff”) print(my_char_array)

#array(‘c’, ‘geekstuff’)

 

 

 

 

 

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*This content is compiled from Stack Overflow Documentation, and the content is written by the beautiful people at Stack Overflow.  This work is licensed under cc by-sa.