Python Basics: How Do You Add Element to the End of Python List?

Which Python List Method Appends an Element to the End?

Learn the correct method to append an element to the end of a Python list. This guide explains how to use .append(x) and clarifies why other common methods like .insert() or .add() are used for different purposes or data types.

Question

Which method appends an element to the end of a list?

A. .add(x)
B. .insert(x)
C. .append(x)
D. .push(x)

Answer

C. .append(x)

Explanation

.append() adds a single item to the list’s end.

The .append() method is a built-in function for Python list objects. It takes exactly one argument, which is the element you want to add, and modifies the original list in-place by adding this element to the last position. This is the standard and most efficient way to grow a list by adding items to its end.

For example:

fruits = ['apple', 'banana']
fruits.append('cherry')
print(fruits) # Output: ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']

The other options are incorrect for the following reasons:

• The .add(x) method is used to add elements to a set, not a list. Sets are unordered collections of unique items.
• The .insert(i, x) method is a list method, but it is used to add an element at a specific index i. For example, fruits.insert(1, ‘blueberry’) would place ‘blueberry’ at index 1, shifting the other elements. It is not exclusively for adding to the end.
• The .push(x) method does not exist for Python lists. This method name is common in other programming languages, like JavaScript, for adding elements to an array, which often causes confusion for developers new to Python.

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