Reference library

Lists & loops

Iterate, transform, and combine sequences with readable loop patterns.

7 matches
Lists & loops easy

Check if List is Sorted Ascending in Python

Verify that a list is sorted in ascending order using the all() function and a generator expression.

lists sorted all
Python
def is_sorted_ascending(lst):
    return all(lst[i] <= lst[i + 1] for i in range(len(lst) - 1))

if __name__ == "__main__":
    test_lists = [
        [1, 2, 3, 4, 5],
        [1, 3, 2, 4, 5],
        [5, 4, 3, 2, 1],
        [1, 1, 2, 2, 3],
        [10],
        []
    ]
    for lst in test_lists:
        print(f"{l…
19 0 Open
Lists & loops easy

Extract Data by Type from a List in Python: Numbers and Strings

Loop through a mixed list to filter out numeric and string values into separate lists.

lists filtering type-checking
Python
def extract_numbers(items):
    """Extract all numeric values from a mixed list."""
    numbers = []
    for item in items:
        if isinstance(item, (int, float)) and not isinstance(item, bool):
            numbers.append(item)
    return numbers


def extract_strings(items):
    """Extract all string values from a…
14 0 Open
Lists & loops easy

How to Check if a List is Sorted in Descending Order in Python

This code defines a function that returns True if a given list is sorted in descending order, using a generator expression with all() to compare each adjacent pair.

sorted descending list
Python
def is_descending(lst):
    """Return True if list is sorted in descending order."""
    return all(lst[i] >= lst[i + 1] for i in range(len(lst) - 1))


if __name__ == "__main__":
    test_cases = [
        [5, 4, 3, 2, 1],
        [3, 3, 2, 1],
        [1, 2, 3],
        [10, 8, 9],
        []
    ]

    for case in …
13 0 Open
Lists & loops easy

How to Flatten a Deeply Nested List in Python Recursively

A recursive function that flattens arbitrarily deep nested lists into a single flat list using isinstance checks.

recursion flatten lists
Python
def flatten(nested_list):
    if not nested_list:
        return []
    if isinstance(nested_list[0], list):
        return flatten(nested_list[0]) + flatten(nested_list[1:])
    return [nested_list[0]] + flatten(nested_list[1:])


if __name__ == "__main__":
    data = [1, [2, [3, [4, [5]]]], [6, [7, [8, [9]]]], 10]
 …
13 0 Open
Lists & loops easy

How to Validate List Data in Python

A beginner-friendly validation helper that checks if data is a list, enforces minimum length, and optionally verifies item types with clear error messages.

validation lists loops
Python
def validate_data(data, expected_types=None, min_length=1):
    """Validate that data is a non-empty list and optionally check item types."""
    if not isinstance(data, list):
        return False, f"Expected a list, got {type(data).__name__}"
    
    if len(data) < min_length:
        return False, f"List must have…
16 0 Open
Lists & loops easy

How to Validate Text Against Forbidden Words in Python

Checks whether a given text contains any forbidden words and returns a tuple with validity and offending words.

text validation lists loops
Python
def validate_text(text, forbidden_words):
    """
    Checks that text does not contain any forbidden words.
    Returns (is_valid, offending_words) tuple.
    """
    words = text.lower().split()
    found = [word for word in words if word in forbidden_words]
    return len(found) == 0, found


if __name__ == "__main…
14 0 Open
Lists & loops easy

How to check list items by type and emptiness in Python

Loop through a list with enumerate(), classify each item as empty, number, or text, and print a formatted status for each element.

lists loops enumerate
Python
def check_data(data):
    """Check each item in a list and print whether it's valid."""
    for i, item in enumerate(data):
        if item is None or item == "":
            status = "empty"
        elif isinstance(item, (int, float)):
            status = "number"
        else:
            status = "text"
        pr…
14 0 Open

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