How to Sort the Contents of a List in Python

Learn how to easily sort a list of filenames by year and extract the book titles in a clean format using Python.
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How to Sort the Contents of a List in Python

Sorting a list can often feel like a daunting task, especially when the data is embedded within filenames. If you've ever found yourself wanting to extract just the key information — in this case, book titles — from filenames sorted by year, you're in the right place!

In this post, we’ll explore how to tackle this problem step by step, using Python. By the end, you’ll know how to sort your data effectively and extract the necessary details without fuss.

The Problem

You have a list of filenames that include book titles and their respective publication years, formatted as follows:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The objective is to create a new list called booktitles with the titles sorted by year (the number in the filename), while removing both the underscores and the years from the filenames.

The Solution

You can achieve this efficiently with a few lines of Python code. Let's break down the solution into parts:

Step 1: Use a Lambda Function for Sorting

The first step is to sort the filenames list by year. A lambda function can be used as the key for sorting. Here's how it works:

Split each filename on the underscore _ to isolate the year.

Convert the year (as a string) to an integer for proper numerical sorting.

Step 2: Extract Book Titles

Once your list is sorted, you can extract just the titles of the books. This can conveniently be done using list comprehension.

Here’s the complete code to achieve the above:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the Code:

sorted(filenames, key=...): This will sort the filename list based on the year extracted through the lambda function.

This takes each filename, splits it at the underscore, and converts the second element — the year — into an integer for proper sorting.

List Comprehension:

What You Get

After running the code, your booktitles list will look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

Sorting lists in Python using a lambda function for custom sorting criteria is straightforward and efficient. This approach not only produces the desired outcome but does so in a clear and comprehensible manner. Next time you face similar data extraction challenges, remember this simple method!

By leveraging Python's powerful capabilities, managing and manipulating your data can be more efficient than ever!

Happy coding!