Unlock the Power of Python’s sorted() Method

When working with data in Python, being able to sort and organize it efficiently is crucial. That’s where the sorted() method comes in – a powerful tool that helps you tame even the most unruly datasets.

What Does sorted() Do?

The sorted() method takes an iterable (such as a list, tuple, or string) and returns a new list with its elements in ascending order. But here’s the catch: it doesn’t modify the original iterable. Instead, it creates a brand new list with the sorted elements.

The Syntax of sorted()

The basic syntax of sorted() is simple: sorted(iterable). However, it also accepts two optional parameters: reverse and key.

• key: a function that determines the basis for sort comparison. Defaults to <code(none)< code=””>.</code(none)<>
• reverse: a boolean that decides the sorting order. If True, the list is sorted in descending order.

Sorting in Action

Let’s see sorted() in action:

print(sorted([3, 1, 2, 4]))  # returns [1, 2, 3, 4]
print(sorted((3, 1, 2, 4)))  # returns [1, 2, 3, 4]
print(sorted({'c': 3, 'a': 1, 'b': 2, 'd': 4}))  # returns ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']
print(sorted({3, 1, 2, 4}))  # returns [1, 2, 3, 4]

Reversing the Order

Want to sort in descending order instead? Simply add the reverse parameter: sorted(iterable, reverse=True).

Sorting with a Key Function

The key parameter allows you to sort based on a specific criterion. For example, you can sort a list of strings by their length using sorted(iterable, key=len).

strings = ['hello', 'world', 'abc']
print(sorted(strings, key=len))  # returns ['abc', 'hello', 'world']

User-Defined Key Functions

You can also use user-defined functions as the key function. For instance, if you have a list of tuples representing personal information, you can sort by age using a custom function:

def get_age(person):
    return person[1]

personal_info = [('John', 25), ('Alice', 30), ('Bob', 20)]
print(sorted(personal_info, key=get_age))  # returns [('Bob', 20), ('John', 25), ('Alice', 30)]

Combining Key and Reverse Parameters

Want to sort by age in descending order? No problem: sorted(personal_info, key=get_age, reverse=True).

The Difference Between sorted() and sort()

While sorted() returns a new list with sorted elements, the sort() method modifies the original list directly and doesn’t return any values.

For example:

my_list = [3, 1, 2, 4]
my_list.sort()
print(my_list)  # returns [1, 2, 3, 4]

my_list = [3, 1, 2, 4]
sorted_list = sorted(my_list)
print(my_list)  # returns [3, 1, 2, 4]
print(sorted_list)  # returns [1, 2, 3, 4]

Learn more about Python’s sorting capabilities.