Sort a list with a custom order in Python

Sort a list with a custom order in Python

You can sort a list with a custom order in Python using the sorted function or the list.sort method with a custom sorting key. Here's how to do it:

Suppose you have a list and a custom order in mind:

my_list = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry', 'date'] custom_order = ['cherry', 'banana', 'apple', 'date'] 

You can sort my_list based on the custom order:

Using the sorted function:

sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: custom_order.index(x)) print(sorted_list) 

Using the list.sort method:

my_list.sort(key=lambda x: custom_order.index(x)) print(my_list) 

Both of these methods use the key parameter to specify a custom sorting key. The key is a function that takes an element from the list and returns a value based on which the sorting is performed. In this case, we use custom_order.index(x) as the key function, which returns the index of each element in the custom order list. This effectively sorts the elements in my_list based on their positions in the custom_order list.

After running either of the above code snippets, the sorted_list or the modified my_list will be in the custom order:

['cherry', 'banana', 'apple', 'date'] 

This custom sorting method allows you to order a list based on any arbitrary order you define in the custom_order list.

Examples

  1. Python custom list sorting example

    • Description: This query suggests users are looking for a practical example of sorting a list in Python based on a custom order.
    • Code:
      custom_order = ['b', 'a', 'c'] # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: custom_order.index(x)) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 
  2. How to sort a list in Python with custom order

    • Description: Users seeking a guide on sorting lists with a specific custom order are likely interested in a step-by-step explanation.
    • Code:
      custom_order = ['b', 'a', 'c'] # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: custom_order.index(x)) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 
  3. Python sort list by custom order

    • Description: This query implies users are looking for a way to perform custom sorting on a list in Python.
    • Code:
      custom_order = {'b': 1, 'a': 2, 'c': 3} # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: custom_order[x]) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 
  4. Python list sorting with custom order

    • Description: Users might want a concise way to sort a list according to a predefined custom order in Python.
    • Code:
      custom_order = {'b': 1, 'a': 2, 'c': 3} # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=custom_order.get) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 
  5. Sorting list using custom order in Python

    • Description: This search query suggests users are interested in sorting techniques that allow them to specify a custom order in Python.
    • Code:
      custom_order = {'b': 1, 'a': 2, 'c': 3} # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: custom_order.get(x, float('inf'))) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 
  6. Python sort list with custom order

    • Description: Users looking for a straightforward solution to sorting a list according to a predefined custom order would benefit from this query.
    • Code:
      custom_order = ['b', 'a', 'c'] # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: (custom_order.index(x), x)) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 
  7. Python sorted list custom order example

    • Description: Users looking for a real-world example demonstrating how to sort lists with custom orders in Python would find this query helpful.
    • Code:
      custom_order = {'b': 1, 'a': 2, 'c': 3} # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: custom_order.get(x, float('inf'))) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 
  8. How to order a list in Python with custom sequence

    • Description: Users interested in manipulating the sorting sequence of lists in Python according to a custom order would likely search with this query.
    • Code:
      custom_order = {'b': 1, 'a': 2, 'c': 3} # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: custom_order.get(x, float('inf'))) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 
  9. Python sorting list by custom order

    • Description: Users seeking to sort lists based on specific criteria, such as a custom order, in Python would likely use this query.
    • Code:
      custom_order = {'b': 1, 'a': 2, 'c': 3} # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: custom_order.get(x, float('inf'))) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 
  10. Python code to sort a list with a specific order

    • Description: This query suggests users are looking for Python code that sorts lists with a predetermined custom order.
    • Code:
      custom_order = {'b': 1, 'a': 2, 'c': 3} # Define custom order my_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'b'] # Input list sorted_list = sorted(my_list, key=lambda x: custom_order.get(x, float('inf'))) # Sort list based on custom order print(sorted_list) # Output: ['b', 'a', 'a', 'b', 'c'] 

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