Difference between List and Dictionary in Python | List vs Dictionary
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: September 25th, 2023
The list and dictionary are Python tools, but there is a significant difference between List and Dictionary in Python. In C++, a list is a collection of various index value pairs, similar to an array. A dictionary is a hashed structure that contains various pairs of keys and values. Here we have provided the difference between list and dictionary in python.
Difference between List and Dictionary in Python PDF
In Python, the primary difference between list and dictionary is that a list is an ordered sequence of objects, whereas dictionaries are unordered sets. Let us check in brief about list, dictionary and the difference between list and dictionary in python.
Table of content
Difference between List and Dictionary in Python
The main difference between list and dictionary is that items in dictionaries are accessed through keys rather than their position. The table shows the difference between list and dictionary in python based on the creation, accessing, etc.
| List VS Dictionary | |
|
List |
Dictionary |
|
The list is started with [], and the elements are separated by ‘,’. |
A dictionary is created by placing elements in, then adding data as key-value pairs separated by ‘,’. |
|
Numeric indexes can be used to access list values. |
Key values can be used to access dictionary items. Any data type can be used for key values. |
|
In C/C++/Java, a list is a collection of index value pair-like arrays. |
The hashed structure of various pairs, such as key-value pairs, is referred to as a dictionary. |
|
The order of the elements in the list is always preserved. |
We cannot guarantee that the order of the available elements will be maintained. |
|
Lists are used to store data that must be ordered and sequentially. |
Dictionary stores a large amount of data for quick and easy access. |
What is a List in Python?
A list is a data structure in Python that is an ordered sequence of mutable elements. A list’s elements are referred to as items. Lists are composed of values separated by commas and enclosed in square brackets ([]).
A list is an excellent tool for dealing with related values. Because lists can be changed, you can add, update, or delete items while programming at any time. For example, consider the code as:
x_list = [BYJUS, Exam, Prep]
print(x_list)
Output:
[BYJUS, Exam, Prep]
What is a Dictionary in Python?
Python includes a data structure called a dictionary. It is used to store a collection of key-value pairs of data. A dictionary was previously an unordered collection, but the order is somewhat preserved in Python 3.6.
Dictionary entries are written inside curly brackets, separated by commas. On the other hand, the data’s key and value are separated by a semicolon (:). Dictionary elements are arranged in a specific order, and can be changed but cannot be duplicated.
