Variables scope for nested python for-loop

Question

I have two nested for loops and two lists, I want one of tle list to re-initialize after one iteration of inner loop.

def test():
i = ['1','5','9','3','6','4']
for x in xrange(0,len(i)):
    j = ['6', '7', '9', '3']
    newi = i
    for y in xrange(0,len(j)):
        newi[x] = j[y]
        print "i", i
    print "end of one iteration on finner loop"
    print "newi", newi
test()

Its a dummy code, I want a clean new instance of newi to be that of i after one iteration of inner loop, currently it preserver the value of inner loop

current output:

i ['6', '5', '9', '3', '6', '4']
i ['7', '5', '9', '3', '6', '4']
i ['9', '5', '9', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '5', '9', '3', '6', '4']
end of one iteration on inner loop
newi ['3', '5', '9', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '6', '9', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '7', '9', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '9', '9', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '9', '3', '6', '4']
end of one iteration on inner loop
newi ['3', '3', '9', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '6', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '7', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '9', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '6', '4']
end of one iteration on inner loop
newi ['3', '3', '3', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '6', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '7', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '9', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '6', '4']
end of one iteration on inner loop
newi ['3', '3', '3', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '6', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '7', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '9', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '3', '4']
end of one iteration on inner loop
newi ['3', '3', '3', '3', '3', '4']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '3', '6']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '3', '7']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '3', '9']
i ['3', '3', '3', '3', '3', '3']
end of one iteration on inner loop
newi ['3', '3', '3', '3', '3', '3']

Answer 1

Instead of:

newi = i

replace with:

newi = list(i) # list(i) creates another copy  i