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How To Nail Your Next Tech Interview

The append() Function in Python
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The append() Function in Python

Python supports object-oriented programming and has concise, readable, and easy-to-learn syntax. It is no wonder that it is one of the most popular programming languages. Python has the function append() built-in. 

We've written a series of articles to help you learn and brush up on the most useful Python functions. We’ll learn more about this append() function in Python and how to use it in this article. 

If you are preparing for a tech interview, check out our technical interview checklist, interview questions page, and salary negotiation e-book to get interview-ready! Also, read Python String join() Method, Python Exit commands, and Type and Isinstance In Python for more content on Python coding interview preparation.

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In this article, we’ll cover:

  • What Is the append() Function In Python and What Does It Do?
  • The append() Function in Python: Syntax
  • The append() Function in Python: Example
  • FAQs on The append() Function in Python

What Is the append() Function in Python and What Does It Do?

The append() function in Python takes a single item as an input parameter and adds it to the end of the given list. In Python, append() doesn’t return a new list of items; in fact, it returns no value at all. It just modifies the original list by adding the item to the end of the list. 

After executing append() on a list, the size of the original list increases by one. The item in the list can be a string, number, dictionary, or even another list (because a list is an object too). When a list is appended onto the original list, it is added as a single object. The addition of the appended list happens, as usual, at the end of the original list.

The append() Function in Python: Syntax


list.append(item)

list.append(item)

  • Parameters: item is the only parameter append() takes, and it is the item to be added at the end of the list.
  • Returns: append() doesn’t return any value. It just adds the item to the end of the list.

The append() Function in Python: Example

Here, we take a look at how to use the append() function in Python next time you need it:

How to Use the append() Function in Python

Code to Append an Item to the List Using append()


# Add a string element to the string list:
stringList = ['mon', 'tue', 'wed', 'thu']
print(stringList)
stringList.append('fri')
print(stringList)

# Add an int element to the string list:
stringList.append(8)
print(stringList)

# Add an int element to the int list:
intList = [0, 2, 4, 6]
print(intList)
intList.append(8)
print(intList)
# Add a string element to the int list:
intList.append('fri')
print(intList)

Note: The code is for Python 3.x, but the same code will run in Python 2.x, with just the print syntax changed to print listName instead of print(listName).

Output

['mon', 'tue', 'wed', 'thu']
['mon', 'tue', 'wed', 'thu', 'fri']
['mon', 'tue', 'wed', 'thu', 'fri', 8]
[0, 2, 4, 6]
[0, 2, 4, 6, 8]
[0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 'fri']


Code to Append a List Onto a List Using append()


# Appending a list as an item onto the original list

stringList = ['mon', 'tue', 'wed', 'thu', 'fri']
print(stringList)

listToAppend = ['sat', 'sun']
print(listToAppend)

# Appending listToAppend onto stringList
stringList.append(listToAppend)
print(stringList)

# We can access the elements from the appended list in the same way we access elements from a 2-D Matrix.
print(stringList[5][0])
print(stringList[5][1])


Output

['mon', 'tue', 'wed', 'thu', 'fri']
['sat', 'sun']
['mon', 'tue', 'wed', 'thu', 'fri', ['sat', 'sun']]
sat
sun

Found this article helpful? You can learn about more Python functions in our learn folder. 

FAQs on the append() Function in Python

Q1. How can we append to a list in Python?

You can use extend(), append(), and itertools.chain() depending on your needs to append to a list in Python.

Q2. What’s the difference between the insert() and append() functions in Python?

In Python, insert() allows you to insert an element to the list at any index of your choice. In contrast, append() appends the element only at the end of the list.

Q3. What’s the difference between the extend() and append() functions in Python?

Unlike append() in Python, which adds a single element to the end of the list, extend() iterates over its parameter, adds each element to the list and extends the list.

Q4. Does append() function in Python make a copy of the list?

No. append() modifies the original list. It does not create a copy of the list.

Q5. What parameters does the append() function in Python take, and what does it return?

Python's append() function takes a single parameter, the item to append. It returns no value or list as it modifies the original list by appending the item at the end of the list.

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Last updated on: 
March 11, 2024
Author

Abhinav Rawat

Product Manager @ Interview Kickstart | Ex-upGrad | BITS Pilani. Working with hiring managers from top companies like Meta, Apple, Google, Amazon etc to build structured interview process BootCamps across domains

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