How Can I Efficiently Convert a String Representation to a Python List?

Efficient Conversion of String Representations to Lists

Encountering scenarios where a string contains a representation of a list, it becomes necessary to convert it into an actual list for further processing. This article explores a method to simplify this conversion process.

The provided string representation of a list poses challenges due to potential spaces within and between elements. To handle these irregularities, let's delve into the solution.

Solution using ast.literal_eval

Python's ast module offers a function called ast.literal_eval, which serves as a powerful tool for evaluating literal expressions. This function proves particularly useful in our scenario. Here's how it works:

import ast

x = '[ "A","B","C" , " D"]'

# Evaluate the string using 'ast.literal_eval'
x = ast.literal_eval(x)

# Strip any additional spaces from the list elements
x = [n.strip() for n in x]

# Result: ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D']

ast.literal_eval does the heavy lifting by converting the string representation into a list object. Subsequently, we use a list comprehension to tidy up any stray spaces that may have slipped through the cracks. This streamlined approach provides an efficient solution to converting string representations of lists into usable Python lists.

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