How Can I Clamp Numbers Within a Specific Range in Python?

Clamping Numbers to a Range in Python

In programming, it is often necessary to ensure that values stay within a specific range. This is known as clamping, clipping, or restricting a number.

Consider the following code, which calculates a new index based on an offset and a list:

<code class="python">new_index = index + offset
if new_index < 0:
    new_index = 0
if new_index >= len(mylist):
    new_index = len(mylist) - 1
return mylist[new_index]</code>

While this code accomplishes the task, it is verbose and repetitive. The if-else statements can be condensed into a single line using the ternary operator:

<code class="python">new_index = 0 if new_index < 0 else len(mylist) - 1 if new_index >= len(mylist) else new_index</code>

However, this approach is not as readable or intuitive as it could be.

A more elegant solution is to use the max() and min() functions to clamp the index within the desired range:

<code class="python">new_index = max(0, min(new_index, len(mylist)-1))</code>

This code ensures that the index is always between 0 and len(mylist)-1, regardless of the value of new_index. This solution is compact, clear, and easy to understand.

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