How to Split String into List Python

Learn how to split a string into a list in Python, and explore the relationship between strings and lists.| …

|Learn how to split a string into a list in Python, and explore the relationship between strings and lists.|

What is String Splitting?

String splitting is a fundamental concept in programming that involves taking a single string of characters and dividing it into multiple substrings or elements. In this article, we’ll focus on how to split a string into a list in Python.

Definition of the Concept

In Python, strings are sequences of characters enclosed within quotes, while lists are ordered collections of items. The split() method is used to divide a string into a list of substrings based on a specified separator or delimiter.

Step-by-Step Explanation

Here’s a step-by-step guide to splitting a string into a list in Python:

1. Define the String

First, define the string you want to split.

my_string = "hello world"

2. Choose a Separator (Optional)

Specify the separator or delimiter that will be used to divide the string. This can be a space, comma, semicolon, or any other character. If no separator is specified, the entire string will be treated as a single element.

separator = " "

3. Use the split() Method

Call the split() method on the string and pass the separator (if used) to create a list of substrings.

my_list = my_string.split(separator)
print(my_list)  # Output: ['hello', 'world']

If no separator is specified, the entire string will be treated as a single element:

my_string = "hello world"
my_list = my_string.split()
print(my_list)  # Output: ['hello world']

4. Iterate over the List (Optional)

You can iterate over the list to access each substring individually.

for item in my_list:
    print(item)
# Output:
# hello
# world

Code Snippet

Here’s a complete code snippet that demonstrates how to split a string into a list using Python:

my_string = "hello world"
separator = " "
my_list = my_string.split(separator)

print(my_list)  # Output: ['hello', 'world']

for item in my_list:
    print(item)
# Output:
# hello
# world

Relationship between Strings and Lists

In Python, strings are immutable sequences of characters, while lists are mutable ordered collections of items. The split() method returns a list of substrings from the original string.

When you split a string into a list using the split() method:

• Each substring in the list is an instance of a string object.
• Modifying a substring within the list does not affect the original string.
• You can modify the list itself, but this will not affect the original string.

Conclusion

Splitting strings into lists with Python’s split() method provides a powerful tool for processing and manipulating text data. By understanding how to split a string into a list, you’ll be able to work more efficiently with text-based data in your Python projects.