Python | List comprehension vs * operator

* operator and range() in python 3.x has many uses. One of them is to initialize the list.

Code : Initializing 1D-list list in Python

# Python code to initialize 1D-list

# Initialize using star operator
# list of size 5 will be initialized.
# star is used outside the list.
list1 = [0]*5


# Initialize using list comprehension
# list of size 5 will be initialized.
# range() is used inside list.
list2 = [0 for i in range(5)]

print("list1 : ", list1)
print("list2 : ", list2)

Output:

list1 :  [0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
list2 :  [0, 0, 0, 0, 0]

Here, Only difference is star operator is used outside of the list. And range() is used inside. These two can also be used with a list within the list or Multidimensional list.

Code : list within list using * operation and range()

# Python code to
# initialize list within the list

# Initialize using star operator
list1 = [[0]]*5

# Initialize using range()
list2 = [[0] for i in range(5)]  # list of 5 "[0] list" is initialized.

# Both list are same so far
print("list1 : ", list1)
print("list2 : ", list2)

Output:

list1 :  [[0], [0], [0], [0], [0]]
list2 :  [[0], [0], [0], [0], [0]]

The real glitch is with the multidimensional list. While dealing with a multidimensional list, initialization method matters a lot. Both methods * operator and list comprehension behaves differently.

Code : Multi-dimensional List

# Consider same previous example.

# Initialize using star operator.
star_list = [[0]]*5

# Initialize using list Comprehension.
range_list = [[0] for i in range(5)]

star_list[0] = 8 # Expected output will come.
range_list[0] = 8 # Expected output.

'''
Output:
    star_list = [8, [0], [0], [0], [0]]
    range_list = [8, [0], [0], [0], [0]]
'''

# Unexpected output will come.
star_list[2].append(8)
'''
    Since star_list[2] = [0]. so it will find for all
    [0] in list and append '8' to each occurrence of
    [0]. And will not affect "non [0]" items is list.'''


range_list[2].append(8) # expected output.

print("Star list  : ", star_list)
print("Range list : ", range_list)

Output:

Star list  :  [8, [0, 8], [0, 8], [0, 8], [0, 8]]
Range list :  [8, [0], [0, 8], [0], [0]]

If someone wants to deal with 1D-array, one can use anything. But with the multidimensional array, one should use list comprehension.