🐍 Master Python Lists with M.A.G.I.C.S.
Lists are the single most used data structure in Python. Whether you are a beginner or preparing for a coding interview, you need to know more than just .append().
To help you remember every operation instantly, we use the M.A.G.I.C.S. framework.
The Framework
| Letter | Category | Meaning | Key Methods |
| M | Make | Create / Copy | .copy(), .split() |
| A | Add | Grow the list | .append(), .extend() |
| G | Get | Find / Access | .index(), .count() |
| I | Improve | Update / Order | .sort(), .reverse() |
| C | Clean | Delete / Remove | .pop(), .remove() |
| S | Stats | Math / Logic | min(), max(), sum() |
🟢 1. M – MAKE (Creation)
Before you can use a list, you have to bring it to life.
| Operation | Syntax | Example | Result |
| Empty List | [] | L = [] | [] |
| Manual List | [v1, v2] | L = [10, 20] | [10, 20] |
| Convert | list(iter) | L = list("Hi") | ['H', 'i'] |
| Split String | .split(sep) | L = "A-B".split("-") | ['A', 'B'] |
| Repeat | [val] * n | L = [0] * 3 | [0, 0, 0] |
| Comprehension | [x for x...] | L = [x*2 for x in range(3)] | [0, 2, 4] |
| Deep Copy | deepcopy(L) | L2 = copy.deepcopy(L) | True clone (nested) |
🔵 2. A – ADD (Growth)
Lists are dynamic. You can add items to them at any time.
| Operation | Syntax | Example | Result |
| Append (End) | .append(x) | L.append(5) | [..., 5] |
| Extend (Join) | .extend(iter) | L.extend([6, 7]) | [..., 6, 7] |
| Insert (Spot) | .insert(i, x) | L.insert(0, "Start") | ["Start", ...] |
| Concatenate | L1 + L2 | L = [1] + [2] | [1, 2] |
🟡 3. G – GET (Access & Find)
How to retrieve your data safely.
| Operation | Syntax | Example | Result |
| Index (First) | L[i] | val = L[0] | First item |
| Index (Last) | L[-i] | val = L[-1] | Last item |
| Slice | L[start:stop] | sub = L[1:3] | Items 1 to 2 |
| Check (Exist) | x in L | "A" in L | True / False |
| Find Index | .index(x) | i = L.index("B") | Index (int) |
| Count | .count(x) | n = L.count("B") | Occurrences (int) |
| Unpack | v1, v2 = L | x, y = [1, 2] | x=1, y=2 |
🟠 4. I – IMPROVE (Modify)
Change the data or organize the order.
| Operation | Syntax | Example | Result |
| Update Item | L[i] = val | L[0] = 99 | [99, ...] |
| Slice Update | L[i:j] = [] | L[0:2] = [1, 1] | Replaces range |
| Sort (Method) | .sort() | L.sort() | Sorted (In-Place) |
| Sort (Func) | sorted(L) | L2 = sorted(L) | New Sorted List |
| Reverse | .reverse() | L.reverse() | Reversed (In-Place) |
| Join to String | .join(L) | " ".join(['Hi','You']) | "Hi You" |
🔴 5. C – CLEAN (Deletion)
Different ways to destroy data depending on what you know (Index vs Value).
| Operation | Syntax | Example | Explanation |
| Remove | .remove(x) | L.remove("A") | Deletes first “A” |
| Pop (Index) | .pop(i) | v = L.pop(0) | Returns & deletes index 0 |
| Pop (Last) | .pop() | v = L.pop() | Returns & deletes last |
| Delete | del L[i] | del L[0] | Deletes index 0 |
| Clear | .clear() | L.clear() | Empties list [] |
🟣 6. S – STATS (Analysis)
Use Python’s built-in math functions on your lists.
| Operation | Syntax | Example | Result |
| Sum | sum(L) | sum([1, 2]) | 3 |
| Min | min(L) | min([1, 5]) | 1 |
| Max | max(L) | max([1, 5]) | 5 |
| Any | any(L) | any([0, 1]) | True (Found one) |
| All | all(L) | all([1, 1]) | True (All match) |
⭐ PRO TIPS (Write Code Like an Expert)
Don’t just write code that works; write code that is clean and professional.
| Feature | Code Example | Why use it? |
| Star Unpack | head, *tail = [1, 2, 3] | head=1, tail=[2, 3]. Grabs the rest. |
| Arg Unpack | print(*L) | “Explodes” list into arguments (removes brackets). |
| Enumerate | for i, v in enumerate(L): | Loops over Index i AND Value v at once. |
| Zip | for n, a in zip(names, ages): | Loops over two lists simultaneously. |
| Filter | [x for x in L if x > 5] | Creates a filtered list in one line. |
| Step Slice | evens = L[::2] | Grabs every 2nd item (0, 2, 4...). |
🆚 Quick Interview Comparison
| Method A | Method B | Key Difference |
append([1,2]) | extend([1,2]) | Append adds the whole list as one item. Extend unpacks and adds 1 then 2. |
.sort() | sorted() | .sort() modifies the original. sorted() returns a new copy. |
.remove(x) | .pop(i) | Remove deletes by value (“Delete Apple”). Pop deletes by index (“Delete #5”). |
Master Python Lists in 10 Minutes: The Ultimate M.A.G.I.C.S. Cheat Sheet
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