Difference Between List and Array In Python

Introduction

In Python, data are stored in both lists and arrays. Both data structures additionally support indexing, slicing, and iteration. So what makes an array and a list different in Python?

Python offers a wide variety of data structures, each with its own features and capabilities. Lists, tuples, sets, and dictionaries are some of the built-in data structures. This is not a complete list of all the data structures Python has to offer, though. It is possible to import some more data structures from various modules or packages.

A data structure that falls within this category is an array. You must import an array from the NumPy package or the array module in order to utilize one in Python.

The first distinction between lists and arrays is this. Let's explore the characteristics and capabilities of lists and arrays before delving further into the distinctions between these two data structures.

List in Python

In Python, a list is a group of things that can include items of different data types, such as numeric, character, logical values, etc. It is a collection that supports negative indexing and is ordered. [] can be used to generate a list with data values.

Using Python's built-in methods, it is simple to merge and copy the contents of lists.

Example

demo_list = [1,"Uday",['a','e'],"Dodiya"]
print(demo_list)

Output

[1,"Uday",['a','e'],"Dodiya"]

Array in Python

A vector with members that are homogenous, or of the same data type, is referred to as an array. Contiguous memory regions are used to allocate elements, making it simple to modify them by adding or removing them or accessing them.

To declare arrays in Python, we must utilize the array module. An exception with the message "Incompatible data types" is raised if an array's items have distinct data types.

Example

import array
  
demo_array = array.array('j', [1, 2, 3])  
  
for j in sample_array:
     print(j)

Output

1
2
3

Differences between List and Array in Python
 

List	Array
Lists are used to group objects together that typically include components from several data types.	An essential element that collects several instances of the same data type is an array.
List is unable to handle mathematical operations.	The array can control mathematical operations.
It is made up of components from various data types.	It is made up of elements with the same data type.
The list is ideal in terms of flexibility because it makes data modification simple.	The array is unsuitable for flexibility since it makes it difficult to modify data.
It uses up more memory.	It uses less memory than list.
A list's entire contents can be accessed without any particular looping.	In order to access the elements of an array, a loop is required.
A shorter data sequence is preferred.	A longer data sequence is preferred.

Summary

You now understand the distinction between a Python list and an array. You also know which thing to pick next from a list of options.