How do I determine the length of a list in Python?

Determining List Length in Python

When working with lists in Python, it's often necessary to know the number of elements they contain. This information can be crucial for various programming tasks.

Using the len() Function

Python provides a built-in function called len() which can be used to obtain the length of a list. The len() function takes a list as its argument and returns an integer representing the number of elements in the list. For example:

<code class="python">items = ["apple", "orange", "banana"]

# Retrieve the number of items
list_length = len(items)

print(list_length)  # Output: 3</code>

Example Application

The length of a list can be useful in various programming scenarios. For instance, it can be used to:

• Determine if a list is empty before performing operations on it.
• Calculate summary statistics or perform aggregations over the list.
• Create a new list of a specific size or append elements to an existing list.

By leveraging the len() function, you can efficiently access the length of lists in Python and utilize it to enhance your programming logic.

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