Referencing List Items through Variables

Question

My original thought process was that I could reference an item in a list easier by saving it in a variable.

Let's say I've created a list:

list = [0, 0 ,0 ,0, 0]

Can I store each item in a variable?

list1 = list[0]

list2 = list[1]

list3 = list[2]

list4 = list[3]

Then change that item using the variable:

list1 =+ 1

But here the original list remains the same:

print(list)

[0, 0, 0, 0, 0]

So it would appear the variable takes the value from the list, and I'm only changing the variable not the original list.

print(list1)

1

Is there a way to store list items in variables but have it so I'm actually performing operations on the items in the list, not 'copies' of the item?

Why would you need to do this? Why not just do `list[index] += 1`? — Christian Dean, Feb 16 '18 at 15:24
Two immediate things; don't use `list` as a name, and `list1 =+ 1` probably isn't what you wanted, maybe `+=` — roganjosh, Feb 16 '18 at 15:25
Trying to work around the pythonic way of doing operations is not recommendable. Besides, why would you want so many variables? Big no no! — Anton vBR, Feb 16 '18 at 15:25
Check this awnser.. This has been already asked before https://stackoverflow.com/questions/14905527/python-get-a-pointer-to-a-list-element — dasosjt, Feb 16 '18 at 15:30

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 16 '18 at 15:36

0

Not without a lot of hacking together custom classes with overidden __dict__ values. Python assignments for primitives are pass-by-value which means that any call to x=y will always make a copy of y and any changes to x will not affect y.

answered Feb 16 '18 at 15:36

Yserbius

1,375
12
18

Referencing List Items through Variables

1 Answers1