In this Python tutorial, we will learn the three different techniques to remove or delete elements from the list. These are del, remove, and pop. Moreover, we will also know the difference between del, remove, and pop on Python lists. In Python, we don't have arrays. Thus, we use the list data structure as an alternative to arrays to store elements or items in sequential order. Inserting and deleting elements from a list is easy, and there are many methods provided by the list itself for the insertion and removal of elements between the list.
Del, Remove, Clear, and Pop in Python Lists
Python del Keyword with a List
The
del
is a Python reserve word that is used to delete the complete object or variable from the program. We can use the
del
keyword to delete the individual list element or the complete list itself.
Syntax
del list_name[index] # delete specific element del list_name #delete the complete list
Example
>>> my_list = [1,2,3,4,5,6,7] >>> del my_list[0] #delete 1 from the list >>> my_list [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] >>> del my_list #delete the complete list >>> my_list Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module> NameError: name 'my_list' is not defined
Python List remove() Method
remove()
is a
Python list method
that is used to remove a specific value from the list. The remove method accepts the element value as a parameter and deletes the first occurrence of the value from the list. The remove method returns a None value. If the specified value does not exist in the list, then the remove method throws a
ValueError
.
Syntax
list_name.remove(value)
Example
>>> my_list = [1,1,2,2,3,3] >>> my_list.remove(2) #remove the first 2 from the list >>> my_list [1, 1, 2, 3, 3] >>> my_list.remove(12) #try to remove non exist element Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module> ValueError: list.remove(x): x not in list
Python List pop Method
By default, the
pop()
method is used to remove the last element from the list, but it also accepts an optional parameter that represents the index number that is supposed to pop out or delete from the list. The pop() method also returns the value that it popped out or deleted from the list.
Syntax
list_name.pop(index)
Example
>>> my_list = [1,1,2,2,3,3] >>> my_list.pop() 3 >>> my_list [1, 1, 2, 2, 3] >>> my_list.pop(0) #remove the first element 1 >>> my_list [1, 2, 2, 3]
Python List clear() Method
If you want to delete all the elements from the list, then instead of using the
pop()
method in for loop, we can use the list clear() method that will delete all the elements from the list.
Syntax
list_name.clear()
Example
>>> my_list = [1,1,2,2,3,3] >>> my_list.clear() >>> my_list []
Del, remove, clear, and pop on Python Lists: A Comparison Table
Parameter | del | remove() | pop() | clear() |
Type | It is a Python keyword. | remove() is a list method. | It is a list method. | clear() is a list method. |
Deletes | del can delete specific elements from the list or the complete list. | It can delete a specific value from the list. | pop() can delete specific values from the list using its index. | The clear() method can delete all the elements from the list, making the list empty. |
Returns | It returns None. | The remove() method returns None. | It returns the deleted value. | It returns None. |
Conclusion
The del keyword can delete an element or an entire list, while the remove method deletes only a specific value from the list. The pop() method is generally used to remove the last element from the list, and the clear() method is used to delete all the elements from the list in one go. Unlike del, remove(), pop(), and clear() are list methods .
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