List and Tuple in Python are the class of data structure. The prior difference between them is that a list is dynamic, whereas tuple has static characteristics.
There are the composite data types which can be used as an array of data in which elements exist in some specific intrinsic ordering, which helps in retrieval of the data. These lists and tuples can hold multiple values, which simplifies the program writing and manages large amounts of data.
The lists and tuples are a sequence which are the most fundamental data structure in Python. A sequence contains elements where each element allotted a value, i.e., its position or index. However, there are 8 types of sequence in Python, but here we are just considering two types – list and tuple.
Content: List Vs Tuple
Comparison Chart
| Basis for comparison | List | Tuple |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Mutable | Immutable |
| Implication of iterations | Time-consuming | Fast |
| Suitable for | Insertion and deletion operations | Retrieval of the elements |
| Key for the dictionary | Not possible | Possible, when only immutable elements are stored. |
| Memory consumption | More | Less |
| Unexpected change | Possible | Less likely occur |
Definition of List
In Python, List is a heterogeneous sequence of objects which are mutable in nature. A mutable data type, what does it means? It means one can change the items of a list without creating a new list. A list can hold elements of a variety of data types like numbers, strings, tuples, other lists, functions and classes too.
Syntax
To define a list literal square brackets are used to surround the zero or more elements which are parted by commas. The syntax is given below:
a_list = ['an', 'example', 'of', 'a', 'list']
Definition of Tuple
Similar to list, a tuple is also a sequence data type that can contain elements of different data types, but these are immutable in nature. Here, immutable means that for altering the contents of a tuple, you need to create a new tuple so that one can assign a new content. However, the mutable elements that a tuple contain can be altered or modified. Python includes a limited amount of methods to manipulate the tuple, unlike the strings and lists. The tuple is faster than list as it does not involve a dynamic change in its items.
Syntax
For creating a tuple, the elements must be enclosed around the parentheses. A tuple should have a comma, even if there is only one element, as the comma is an important operator that defines a tuple.
>>> a_tuple = ('this', 'is', 'an', 'example', 'of', 'tuple')
Key Differences Between List and Tuple
- Lists are mutable while tuples are immutable, which signifies that we can change the content of a list dynamically, but this is not the case in a tuple.
- When the iterations are applied to the list objects, the processing time is more. On the contrary, tuple objects iterate in a fast manner.
- Tuple data type is appropriate for accessing the elements. As against, the list is better for performing operations, such as insertion and deletion.
- If the user wants to utilize the sequence as a dictionary key, a tuple is a better choice because dictionary keys are immutable.
- Lists consume more memory as compared to the tuple.
- In the list, the unexpected changes and errors are more likely to occur, but in the case of a tuple, it is hard to take place.
- Lists have several built-in methods while tuple does no have must built-in methods.
Conclusion
In most of the aspects, the tuples are more efficient than the lists as it consumes less memory, less time and does not change unexpectedly. However, both the data types are used in the python programs where lists are best used for homogeneous data. On the other hand, tuples are mainly used with heterogeneous data.
luqmaan s says
Great explanation of the differences between lists and tuples in Python! Thanks for the clear comparison!