Python List pop() method [With Examples]

In this Python tutorial, we will discuss the Python List pop() method. It is an essential method of the list class that allows us to remove the item from the Python List.

List pop() method in Python

Below are the topics that we are doing to discuss in this article:

  • Introduction to Python List pop() method
  • Syntax of the pop() method
  • Purpose and use cases of the pop() method

Python List pop() method

The pop() method is an in-built list method in Python that removes and returns the last item in the Python list by default.

However, we can also provide an index as an argument to specify which item should be removed and returned. This method is useful when we want to retrieve a specific element from a Python list while simultaneously removing it.

Syntax:

list.pop(index=-1)

Parameters:

  • index (optional): The index of the element to be removed and returned. If not provided, it defaults to -1, indicating the last element.

Return value:

  • The pop() method returns the removed item from the Python list. If the Python list is empty or the index is out of range, it raises an IndexError.

pop() method in Python List Examples

Let’s explore some examples of using the pop() method.

Example#1 Removing and returning the last element of a list:

us_states = ["California", "New York", "Texas", "Florida"]
popped_state = us_states.pop()
print(popped_state)  
print(us_states)  
  • In this example, we have a Python list called us_states containing four U.S. state names as strings.
  • We use the pop() method to remove the last element from the Python list (in this case, ‘Florida’) and store it in a variable called popped_state.
  • When we print popped_state, we see the output ‘Florida’, which is the element that was removed from the Python list. Printing us_states now shows the modified Python list without ‘Florida’.
READ:  Python Read Excel File and Write to Excel File in Python

Output:

Python List pop method
Python List pop method

Example#2 Removing and returning an element by index from a list

us_presidents = ["George Washington", "John Adams", "Thomas Jefferson", "James Madison"]
popped_president = us_presidents.pop(2)
print(popped_president)
print(us_presidents) 
  • In this example, we have a Python list called us_presidents containing four U.S. president names as strings.
  • We use the pop() method with the index parameter set to 2 to remove the element at index 2 (‘Thomas Jefferson’) and store it in a variable called popped_president.
  • When we print popped_president, we see the output ‘Thomas Jefferson’, which is the element that was removed from the Python list. Printing us_presidents now shows the modified Python list without ‘Thomas Jefferson’.

Output:

Python List pop method example
Python List pop method example

Example#3 Removing and returning elements from a list using a loop

us_car_brands = ["Ford", "Chevrolet", "Tesla", "Dodge"]
while us_car_brands:
    popped_brand = us_car_brands.pop()
    print("Removed brand:", popped_brand)
  • In this example, we have a list of U.S. car brands. We use a while loop along with the pop() method to iteratively remove and return all elements from the list until it is empty.
  • The output shows each removed car brand in reverse order.

Output:

List pop method in Python
List pop method in Python

Example#4 Using a conditional statement with the pop() method

us_cities_population = [("New York City", 8419000), ("Los Angeles", 3927000), ("Chicago", 2721000), ("Houston", 2296000)]

city_to_remove = "Chicago"

for i in range(len(us_cities_population)):
    if us_cities_population[i][0] == city_to_remove:
        removed_city = us_cities_population.pop(i)
        break

print("Removed city:", removed_city)

print("Remaining cities:", us_cities_population)

  • In this example, we have a Python list of tuples containing U.S. city names and their respective populations. We use a for loop to iterate through the list, searching for a specific city (‘Chicago’).
  • Once the city is found, we use the pop() method with the current index to remove and return the Python tuple containing the city’s name and population. The modified Python list contains the remaining city tuples.
READ:  How to Create a String with Newline in Python

Output:

List pop method in Python example
List pop method in Python example

Conclusion

The Python list pop() method is a powerful and convenient way to remove and return elements from a Python list. By understanding its syntax, usage, and best practices through examples, we can effectively utilize this method in your Python programming projects.

You may also like to read the following articles: