Where are list methods documented?

[Grant Edwards]

I'm trying to figure out how to sort a list, and I've run into
a problem that that I have tripped over constantly for years:
where are the methods of basic types documented? The only
thing I can find on a list's sort() method is in the tutorial
where it states:

sort()
Sort the items of the list, in place.

Doesn't the list method would accept a callable to be used as a
comparison function? Where is that sort of thing in the
documentation? I've looking in the library reference, the
language reference, the global module index.

I have figured out I can do

list.sort.__doc __

'L.sort(cmpfunc =None) -- stable sort *IN PLACE*; cmpfunc(x, y) -> -1, 0, 1'

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! But they went to MARS
at around 1953!!
visi.com

[Tim Peters]

[Grant Edwards]

I'm trying to figure out how to sort a list, and I've run into
a problem that that I have tripped over constantly for years:
where are the methods of basic types documented?
The methods on mutable sequence types are documented in the Library
manual's section on mutable sequence types:

http://docs.python.org/lib/typesseq-mutable.html
The only thing I can find on a list's sort() method is in the tutorial
where it states:

You could have found the above by, e.g., looking up "sort" in the
Library manual's index.

[Brian van den Broek]

Grant Edwards said unto the world upon 2005-02-01 12:21:

I'm trying to figure out how to sort a list, and I've run into
a problem that that I have tripped over constantly for years:
where are the methods of basic types documented? The only
thing I can find on a list's sort() method is in the tutorial
where it states:

sort()
Sort the items of the list, in place.

Doesn't the list method would accept a callable to be used as a
comparison function? Where is that sort of thing in the
documentation? I've looking in the library reference, the
language reference, the global module index.

I have figured out I can do

list.sort._ _doc__

'L.sort(cmpfunc =None) -- stable sort *IN PLACE*; cmpfunc(x, y) -> -1, 0, 1'

Hi,

I'm not positive I understand what you are looking for, but do these
help?:

<http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/lib/built-in-funcs.html#l2h-15>
<http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/lib/typesseq.html>
<http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/lib/typesseq-mutable.html>

Best,
Brian vdB

[wes weston]

Grant Edwards wrote:

I'm trying to figure out how to sort a list, and I've run into
a problem that that I have tripped over constantly for years:
where are the methods of basic types documented? The only
thing I can find on a list's sort() method is in the tutorial
where it states:

sort()
Sort the items of the list, in place.

Doesn't the list method would accept a callable to be used as a
comparison function? Where is that sort of thing in the
documentation? I've looking in the library reference, the
language reference, the global module index.

I have figured out I can do

list.sort._ _doc__

'L.sort(cmpfunc =None) -- stable sort *IN PLACE*; cmpfunc(x, y) -> -1, 0, 1'

Grant,
For a quick, short doc string list: >>> help(list)
wes

[Grant Edwards]

On 2005-02-01, Tim Peters <ti********@gma il.com> wrote:

[Grant Edwards]

I'm trying to figure out how to sort a list, and I've run into
a problem that that I have tripped over constantly for years:
where are the methods of basic types documented?
The methods on mutable sequence types are documented in the
Library manual's section on mutable sequence types:

http://docs.python.org/lib/typesseq-mutable.html

You could have found the above by, e.g., looking up "sort" in the
Library manual's index.

I did. I looked up sort in the library index, and it took me
to 3.3.5 Emulating container types, which said:

Mutable sequences should provide methods append(), count(),
index(), extend(), insert(), pop(), remove(), reverse() and
sort(), like Python standard list objects.

I also looked at quite a few "list" links in the index.

I don't think it's at all obvious that the documentation for
list.sort would be under "mutable sequence object".

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! YOW!! Everybody out
at of the GENETIC POOL!
visi.com

[Grant Edwards]

On 2005-02-01, Brian van den Broek <bv****@po-box.mcgill.ca> wrote:

I'm not positive I understand what you are looking for, but do these
help?:

<http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/lib/built-in-funcs.html#l2h-15>
<http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/lib/typesseq.html>
<http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/lib/typesseq-mutable.html>

Yes, that last page was the one I was looking for. I didn't
know enough to spell list as "mutable sequence type".

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! I think my CAREER
at is RUINED!!
visi.com

[Thomas Heller]

Grant Edwards <gr****@visi.co m> writes:

On 2005-02-01, Brian van den Broek <bv****@po-box.mcgill.ca> wrote:

I'm not positive I understand what you are looking for, but do these
help?:

<http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/lib/built-in-funcs.html#l2h-15>
<http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/lib/typesseq.html>
<http://www.python.org/doc/2.4/lib/typesseq-mutable.html>

Yes, that last page was the one I was looking for. I didn't
know enough to spell list as "mutable sequence type".

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! I think my CAREER
at is RUINED!!
visi.com

You could also have typed 'sort' in the box here:

http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/pyhelp.cgi

This search is also available in Mark Hammond's Mozilla Python sidebar.

Thomas

[Tim Peters]

[Tim Peters]

You could have found the above by, e.g., looking up "sort" in the
Library manual's index.

[Grant Edwards] I did. I looked up sort in the library index, and it took me
to 3.3.5 Emulating container types,
It doesn't for me. Here:

http://docs.python.org/lib/genindex.html#letter-s

There are two entries for "sort":

sort (IMAP4_stream method)
sort (list method)

You're looking for the second one <wink>.

....
I don't think it's at all obvious that the documentation for
list.sort would be under "mutable sequence object".

I was just answering your question ("where are the docs?"), not trying
to imply you were an idiot for not guessing that.

You could have gotten to the same place in several ways. Another
would have been to look up "list" in the Library index, and click on

list
type, operations on

For good or ill, the Library manual takes a rather abstract view of
the types currently implemented, as reflected in its table of
contents:

2. Built-In Objects
2.1 Built-in Functions
2.2 Non-essential Built-in Functions
2.3 Built-in Types
2.3.1 Truth Value Testing
2.3.2 Boolean Operations
2.3.3 Comparisons
2.3.4 Numeric Types
2.3.5 Iterator Types
2.3.6 Sequence Types
2.3.7 Set Types
2.3.8 Mapping Types
2.3.9 File Objects
2.3.10 Other Built-in Types
2.3.11 Special Attributes
2.4 Built-in Exceptions
2.5 Built-in Constants

So, e.g., it doesn't mention floats or dicts by those names either.
It's well worthwhile to spend some time browsing that entire chapter.

[Grant Edwards]

On 2005-02-01, Tim Peters <ti********@gma il.com> wrote:

[Grant Edwards]

I did. I looked up sort in the library index, and it took me
to 3.3.5 Emulating container types,

It doesn't for me. Here:

http://docs.python.org/lib/genindex.html#letter-s

There are two entries for "sort":

sort (IMAP4_stream method)
sort (list method)

You're looking for the second one <wink>.

Aargh. My bad. I was in the language reference index. I seem
to have a very hard time ending up in the document I'm trying
for. For some reason, I fairly consistently click on the wrong
link in the document index. :(

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! I'm definitely not
at in Omaha!
visi.com

[Aahz]

In article <r7**********@p ython.net>,
Thomas Heller <th*****@python .net> wrote:

You could also have typed 'sort' in the box here:

http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/pyhelp.cgi

This search is also available in Mark Hammond's Mozilla Python sidebar.

....and as a link from python.org's documentation pages.
--
Aahz (aa**@pythoncra ft.com) <*> http://www.pythoncraft.com/

"Given that C++ has pointers and typecasts, it's really hard to have a serious
conversation about type safety with a C++ programmer and keep a straight face.
It's kind of like having a guy who juggles chainsaws wearing body armor
arguing with a guy who juggles rubber chickens wearing a T-shirt about who's
in more danger." --Roy Smith, c.l.py, 2004.05.23