Question

Sort a list of strings by increasing length.

Short answer

Sort strings by character count: shorter first.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the Exercise

The task is to sort a list of strings by the number of characters each string contains, from the smallest number of characters to the largest.

Listing the Example Strings

Suppose we have the following list of strings: ['banana', 'apple', 'kiwi', 'blueberry', 'fig']. Our job is to arrange these strings based on their length.

Measuring String Lengths

We determine the length of each string in the list: 'banana' (6), 'apple' (5), 'kiwi' (4), 'blueberry' (9), and 'fig' (3).

Sorting by Length

We sort the strings in ascending order of their lengths: 'fig' (3), 'kiwi' (4), 'apple' (5), 'banana' (6), 'blueberry' (9).

Reordering the List

Construct the sorted list based on the order of lengths determined in the previous step: ['fig', 'kiwi', 'apple', 'banana', 'blueberry'].

Key concepts

String Length

When working with strings in Python, one of the basic operations you might need to perform is to find the length of a string. This refers to the number of characters it contains, including letters, numbers, and even spaces. To measure the length of any string, Python offers a convenient function called `len()`. For example, if you have the string 'banana', by using `len('banana')`, you would get the length 6. Understanding the length of strings is essential when you need to sort or manipulate them, especially when working on problems where the number of characters plays a crucial role. Knowing how to measure string length is a fundamental skill that will help you in more complex tasks such as sorting, filtering, or even creating algorithms that involve string processing.

List Sorting

Sorting is the process of arranging elements in a particular order. In Python, lists can be sorted using various techniques. When sorting lists of strings by their lengths, the goal is to arrange them in ascending or descending order based on the number of characters each string has. Python provides a built-in function called `sorted()` that can be used to sort a list, and a list method called `sort()`. Both of these can help you sort based on custom requirements, such as length here.

• `sorted()`: Returns a new sorted list without altering the original list. You would use it like: `sorted(list, key=len)` to sort by string length.
• `sort()`: It alters the original list in place and can be used like: `list.sort(key=len)` for sorting by length.

By using these tools effectively, you'll be able to manipulate data structures efficiently and increase the performance of your programs.

Python Programming

Python is a versatile and powerful programming language known for its simplicity and readability. These features make it a popular choice among beginners and professionals alike. One of the key strengths of Python is its extensive standard library. This allows programmers to perform a wide range of tasks without the need for external libraries. In the context of sorting a list of strings by length, Python's `sorted()` function exemplifies how the language provides simple solutions for complex problems. With Python, you can write concise and easily readable code. Here, sorting strings by length can be accomplished with a single line, demonstrating the language's ability to streamline and simplify code writing. Python programming empowers developers to tackle problems creatively and efficiently, making it an invaluable language for both learning and professional development.