Understand the Difference between Python List sort() and sorted() Function: A Beginner Guide

To sort a python list, we can use list sort() and sorted() function. What is the difference between them? In this tutorial, we will discuss this topic.

Python list sort() function

Python list sort() function is defined as:

list.sort(key=..., reverse=...)

Here is an example:

l = [2, 3, 1, 4]
l.sort()
print(l)
l.sort(reverse = True)
print(l)

The result will be:

[1, 2, 3, 4]
[4, 3, 2, 1]

To konw more about python list sort() function, you can read:

Python Beginner’s Guide to Sort Python List

Python sorted() function

Python sorted() also can sort a python list, it is defined as:

sorted(iterable, /, *, key=None, reverse=False)

We also can use it to sort a python list. Here is an example:

l = [2, 3, 1, 4]
print(sorted(l))
print(sorted(l, reverse = True))

The result also is:

[1, 2, 3, 4]
[4, 3, 2, 1]

Compare the result, we can find the difference between python list sort() and sorted().

Here is the difference: