Question

What is the primary difference between a list and a tuple?

Short answer

Answer: The primary difference between lists and tuples in programming is their mutability. Lists are mutable, allowing their contents to be changed after creation, while tuples are immutable, with fixed contents that cannot be altered. Lists should be used when the data structure requires modification, such as adding, modifying, or removing elements. In contrast, tuples should be used when the data structure needs to have fixed contents to improve code efficiency and readability.

Step-by-step solution

Definition of List and Tuple

A list and a tuple are two types of data structures in programming languages, such as Python, that can store a collection of items. Lists are mutable, which means you can change their content (add, modify or remove elements) after creation. On the other hand, tuples are immutable, meaning their content cannot be changed after creation.

Primary Difference

The primary difference between a list and a tuple is their mutability. Lists are mutable while tuples are immutable. This means that you can change the contents of a list after creation, but you cannot change the contents of a tuple.

When to Use Each

Use lists when you need a data structure that allows you to modify its content after creation, such as adding, modifying, or removing elements. Use tuples when you need a data structure with fixed contents that should not be changed after creation, which can make your code more efficient and readable.