How to Sort Tuples in Python by Multiple Elements

Learn how to efficiently sort a list of tuples by multiple elements in Python and keep the order intact.
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Sorting Tuples in Python by Multiple Elements

In Python, sorting data structures efficiently is a crucial skill. A common task is sorting lists of tuples based on multiple criteria. If you've ever found yourself in a situation where you need to order a list of tuples based on their second and third elements, then you're in the right place!

In this post, we'll uncover how to accomplish this using Python's built-in functions. We’ll break this down step by step so you can easily understand and apply it in your own coding projects.

The Problem

Imagine you have the following list of tuples:

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

Your goal is to sort this list first by the second element of each tuple and then by the third element while maintaining the original order based on the second element. The desired outcome would be:

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

The Solution

To achieve this, we'll use the sorted() function, which allows us to specify a custom sorting order through its key argument. The key argument can accept a function that returns the values we want to use for sorting.

Step-by-Step Explanation

Here's how we can implement this solution in Python:

Using the sorted() Function: The sorted() function will help us to sort our list. It does not alter the original list but returns a new sorted list.

Lambda Function for Complex Key: We will use a lambda function to return a tuple consisting of the second and third elements of each tuple. This will dictate the order of sorting.

Code Implementation

Let’s dive into the code:

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

Breakdown of the Code

List of Tuples: L is our original list of tuples which we want to sort.

Sorted Function: sorted(L, key=lambda item: (item[1], item[2])) does two things:

It takes L as input.

The lambda function receives each tuple as item and returns a tuple of its second and third elements (item[1], item[2]). This results in a tuple of order criteria for sorting.

Result

When you run the code above, you'll obtain the ordered list:

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

As seen, the list is now correctly ordered based on the second and third elements of the tuples!

Conclusion

Sorting lists of tuples by multiple criteria in Python can be done effortlessly using the sorted() function paired with a lambda function. This method not only offers clarity but also preserves the order of data remarkably well.

Now you can confidently implement multi-criteria sorting in your Python scripts! Happy coding!