Sorted() function in Python

Python sorted() function returns a sorted list from the iterable object.

Python sorted() Function Syntax

Syntax: sorted(iterable, key, reverse)

Parameters: sorted takes three parameters from which two are optional. 

• Iterable: sequence (list, tuple, string) or collection (dictionary, set, frozenset) or any other iterator that needs to be sorted.
• Key(optional): A function that would serve as a key or a basis of sort comparison.
• Reverse(optional): If True, then the iterable would be sorted in reverse (descending) order, by default it is set as False.

Return: Returns a list with elements in sorted order.

Python sorted() Function Example

Python3

print(sorted([4, 1, 3, 2]))

Output:

[1, 2, 3, 4]

Example 1: Sorting Python list using sorted()

Using sorted() on Python list

Python3

x = [2, 8, 1, 4, 6, 3, 7]

print("Sorted List returned :", sorted(x))

print("Reverse sort :", sorted(x, reverse=True))

print("\nOriginal list not modified :", x)

Output:

Sorted List returned : [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8]
Reverse sort : [8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1]

Original list not modified : [2, 8, 1, 4, 6, 3, 7]

Example 2: Sorting different data types

Python3

# List
x = ['q', 'w', 'r', 'e', 't', 'y']
print(sorted(x))

# Tuple
x = ('q', 'w', 'e', 'r', 't', 'y')
print(sorted(x))

# String-sorted based on ASCII translations
x = "python"
print(sorted(x))

# Dictionary
x = {'q': 1, 'w': 2, 'e': 3, 'r': 4, 't': 5, 'y': 6}
print(sorted(x))

# Set
x = {'q', 'w', 'e', 'r', 't', 'y'}
print(sorted(x))

# Frozen Set
x = frozenset(('q', 'w', 'e', 'r', 't', 'y'))
print(sorted(x))

Output:

['e', 'q', 'r', 't', 'w', 'y']
['e', 'q', 'r', 't', 'w', 'y']
['h', 'n', 'o', 'p', 't', 'y']
['e', 'q', 'r', 't', 'w', 'y']
['e', 'q', 'r', 't', 'w', 'y']
['e', 'q', 'r', 't', 'w', 'y']

Example 3: Reverse sorting using Python sorted()

Sorting a string in lexicographically reverse order by setting reverse=True in sorted() function.

Python3

# Python3 code to demonstrate
# Reverse Sort a String
# using join() + sorted() + reverse

# initializing string
test_string = "geekforgeeks"

# printing original string
print("The original string : " + str(test_string))

# using join() + sorted() + reverse
# Sorting a string
res = ''.join(sorted(test_string, reverse = True))

# print result
print("String after reverse sorting : " + str(res))

Output:

The original string : geekforgeeks
String after reverse sorting : srokkggfeeee

Example 4: Python sorted() lambda

Using sorted() inside Python lambda function

Python3

# import the module
import functools
# initializing string
test_string = "geekforgeeks"

# printing original string
print("The original string : " + str(test_string))

# using sorted() + reduce() + lambda
# Reverse Sort a String
res = functools.reduce(lambda x, y: x + y,
                       sorted(test_string,
                              reverse=True))
# print result
print("String after reverse sorting : " + str(res))

Output:

The original string : geekforgeeks
String after reverse sorting : srokkggfeeee

Python sorted() key

sorted() function has an optional parameter called ‘key’ which takes a function as its value. This key function transforms each element before sorting, it takes the value and returns 1 value which is then used within sort instead of the original value. For example, if we pass a list of strings in sorted(), it gets sorted alphabetically. But if we specify key = len, i.e. give len() function as key, then the strings would be passed to len(), and the value it returns, i.e. the length of strings will be sorted. This means that the strings would be sorted based on their lengths instead

Python3

L = ["cccc", "b", "dd", "aaa"]

print("Normal sort :", sorted(L))

print("Sort with len :", sorted(L, key=len))

Output:

Normal sort : ['aaa', 'b', 'cccc', 'dd']
Sort with len : ['b', 'dd', 'aaa', 'cccc']

Key can also take user-defined functions as its value for the basis of sorting.

Python3

# Sort a list of integers based on
# their remainder on dividing from 7
def func(x):
    return x % 7

L = [15, 3, 11, 7]

print("Normal sort :", sorted(L))
print("Sorted with key:", sorted(L, key=func))

Output:

Normal sort : [3, 7, 11, 15]
Sorted with key: [7, 15, 3, 11]