Question

Assume the following statement appears in a program: values = 'one\(two\)three$four' Write a statement that splits the string, creating the following list: ['one', 'two', 'three', 'four']

Short answer

Answer: You can achieve this in Python using the split() method. For example, if you have a string 'one$two$three$four' and the delimiter '$', you can use the following steps: 1. Identify the string and the delimiter. In this case, the string is 'one$two$three$four', and the delimiter is '$'. 2. Use Python's split() method. The syntax for this method is: `string.split(delimiter)`. In this example, use `values.split('$')` to split the given string. 3. Store the result in a new list. The split() method returns a new list with the separated elements. You can store this list in a new variable, for example, `split_values = values.split('$')`. 4. Display the final result by using the print() function: `print(split_values)`. This will display the list ['one', 'two', 'three', 'four'].

Step-by-step solution

Identify the string and the delimiter

In this exercise, the given string is 'one\(two\)three\(four', and the delimiter separating the individual values is the '\)' symbol.

Use Python's split() method

Python provides the split() method for strings, which takes the delimiter as an argument and splits the string based on the delimiter. The syntax for the split() method is: string.split(delimiter) In our problem, we have the string `values` and the delimiter '\('. So, we can use `values.split('\)')` to split the given string.

Store the result in a new list

The split() method returns a new list containing the separated elements. We can store this list in a new variable. For example, we can call the new list `split_values`. To create the new list with the separated values, use the following statement: split_values = values.split('$')

Display the final result

The list `split_values` now contains the separated values from the original string. To display the list, use the print() function: print(split_values) When executing the program, it will display the required list: ['one', 'two', 'three', 'four']

Key concepts

Python split method

When working with strings in Python, you often need to break them into smaller chunks - that's when the `split()` method comes in handy. This powerful tool converts a string into a list, splitting it wherever a specified delimiter appears.
The syntax is quite simple: `string.split(delimiter)`. You provide the string you want to split and specify where it should be divided using a delimiter.
For example, if you have a string such as `'apple,banana,cherry'` and want to separate each fruit into a list item, you would use a comma as the delimiter: `fruit_list = 'apple,banana,cherry'.split(',')`. This creates `['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']`.
Splitting makes data processing convenient, especially when dealing with data formats where specific separators indicate boundaries between pieces of information.

string delimiter

A delimiter is a character or sequence of characters that marks the beginning or end of a unit of data. In the context of strings, it tells Python where to split the string.
Common delimiters include:

• Commas (`,`)
• Spaces (``) - used often when splitting sentences into words
• Other symbols or characters, like dashes (`-`), colons (`:`), or even custom characters

In the context of the exercise, delimiters play a crucial role. The goal is to identify these separators correctly, thus correctly segmenting the data into a meaningful list.
For example, in the string `data = 'name|age|city'`, if the vertical bar (`|`) is used as a delimiter, calling `data.split('|')` results in the list `['name', 'age', 'city']`.
Choosing the right delimiter is vital to ensure data is accurately parsed and ready for further processing.

list creation

Lists are one of Python's built-in data structures designed to store collections of items. They are incredibly flexible, allowing you to hold different data types, such as numbers, strings, or even other lists.
To create a list, you enclose your elements in square brackets, separated by commas. For instance: `fruits = ['apple', 'orange', 'banana']`.
In the case of splitting a string with `split()`, the resulting data is automatically placed into a new list without extra effort. This list can then be manipulated or iterated over for various operations.

• Lists provide various powerful functions such as appending new items, removing existing ones, or finding specific elements.
• Lists are mutable, meaning you can change their size and content even after creation.

Python manages indexing for lists, allowing you access items using their position with an index starting at 0. For example, `fruits[1]` gives 'orange'.
This behavior makes lists particularly useful for storing and accessing data efficiently in Python programs.