{"id":294,"date":"2020-10-06T04:18:27","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T04:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pythontutorial.net\/?page_id=294"},"modified":"2025-03-26T13:47:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T13:47:57","slug":"python-sorted","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pythontutorial.net\/python-basics\/python-sorted\/","title":{"rendered":"Python sorted"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use the Python sorted()<\/code> function to sort a list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to the Python sorted() function #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The sort()<\/a><\/code> method sorts a list<\/a> in place. In other words, it changes the order of elements in the original list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To return the new sorted list from the original list, you use the sorted()<\/code> function:<\/p>\n\n\n

sorted(list)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The sorted()<\/code> function doesn’t modify the original list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to reverse the sort order, you pass the reverse<\/code> argument as True<\/code> like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
sorted(list,reverse=True<\/span>)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Sorting a list of strings #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The following example uses the sorted()<\/code> function to sort a list of strings in alphabetical order:<\/p>\n\n\n
guests = ['James'<\/span>, 'Mary'<\/span>, 'John'<\/span>, 'Patricia'<\/span>, 'Robert'<\/span>, 'Jennifer'<\/span>]\nsorted_guests = sorted(guests)\n\nprint(guests)\nprint(sorted_guests)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
['James'<\/span>, 'Mary'<\/span>, 'John'<\/span>, 'Patricia'<\/span>, 'Robert'<\/span>, 'Jennifer'<\/span>]\n['James'<\/span>, 'Jennifer'<\/span>, 'John'<\/span>, 'Mary'<\/span>, 'Patricia'<\/span>, 'Robert'<\/span>]<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The output indicates the original list doesn’t change. The sorted()<\/code> method returns a new sorted list from the original list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following example uses the sorted()<\/code> function to sort the guests<\/code> list in the reverse alphabetical order:<\/p>\n\n\n
guests = ['James'<\/span>, 'Mary'<\/span>, 'John'<\/span>, 'Patricia'<\/span>, 'Robert'<\/span>, 'Jennifer'<\/span>]\nsorted_guests = sorted(guests, reverse=True<\/span>)\n\nprint(sorted_guests)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
['Robert'<\/span>, 'Patricia'<\/span>, 'Mary'<\/span>, 'John'<\/span>, 'Jennifer'<\/span>, 'James'<\/span>]<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Sorting a list of numbers #<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The following example uses the sorted()<\/code> function to sort a list of numbers from smallest to largest:<\/p>\n\n\n
scores = [5<\/span>, 7<\/span>, 4<\/span>, 6<\/span>, 9<\/span>, 8<\/span>]\nsorted_scores = sorted(scores)\n\nprint(sorted_scores)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
[4<\/span>, 5<\/span>, 6<\/span>, 7<\/span>, 8<\/span>, 9<\/span>]<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The following example uses the sorted()<\/code> function with the reverse<\/code> argument sets to True<\/code>. It sorts a list of numbers from largest to smallest:<\/p>\n\n\n
scores = [5<\/span>, 7<\/span>, 4<\/span>, 6<\/span>, 9<\/span>, 8<\/span>]\nsorted_scores = sorted(scores, reverse=True<\/span>)\n\nprint(sorted_scores)<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
[9<\/span>, 8<\/span>, 7<\/span>, 6<\/span>, 5<\/span>, 4<\/span>]<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Python<\/span> (<\/span>python<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Summary #<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try it<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
By default, the sorted()<\/code> function sorts the elements of the list from lowest to highest using the less-than operator<\/a> (<<\/code>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n