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Today, we're exploring how to check if a list is empty in Python, a fundamental concept in Python programming. This video will provide python examples to help beginners understand this concept, further improving their python coding skills.
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0:00
Hey everyone, welcome back to our Python
0:02
series of beginners. In the previous
0:04
episodes, we have gone through list and
0:06
Python and its built-in functions. So
0:08
today we are going to deal with the
0:10
interesting programs where we can
0:12
understand and work on list and where we
0:15
can get more practical knowledge over
0:17
list.
0:22
So today we are going to do something
0:24
super important where we are going to
0:26
check if a list is empty or not in
0:29
Python. It sounds simple right? But
0:31
trust me this tiny concept is something
0:34
you'll use a lot as you go deeper into
0:37
coding.
0:39
So here's the plan. First we'll ask the
0:41
user to enter some elements separated by
0:45
comma and then we'll finally turn that
0:48
into a list.
0:50
and we'll check if the list is empty or
0:52
not using an else condition.
0:56
All right, let's write the code step by
0:59
step. First,
1:03
step one
1:09
as
1:11
user input.
1:17
Okay. and user input
1:27
enter the elements. So we are asking the
1:30
user to give the input elements
1:34
separated
1:37
with
1:38
commas so that user will understand that
1:41
we are going to create a list. Okay. And
1:45
step two
1:49
is to create a list.
1:53
Okay, let's create a list. So my list
1:56
equal to
1:59
user input dotsplit
2:03
and then separated with comma. So here
2:07
we are using a function called split.
2:09
Split. Let us see what it actually do.
2:13
So you can just say print my list.
2:18
And now when you run this one, it will
2:21
ask me the enter the elements separated
2:24
with commas. Okay. 1 2 3.
2:29
And now when you enter, see it is taking
2:32
the 1 2 3 as a strings because we didn't
2:35
give anything here. And then it is
2:39
storing them separated with comma. So
2:41
what this split is doing is it is taking
2:43
the elements from the input and then it
2:48
is checking whether it is the data type
2:50
of the you know input it but like is
2:53
that a string or is that input float
2:55
whatever the value then it is adding
2:59
dotsplit like it is splitting each and
3:01
every item which is separated with
3:04
comma. Okay. What if you give hyphen
3:08
here and now
3:11
hyphen
3:13
or maybe this one?
3:18
Okay, when you do this
3:22
now you have to give one 2 3. See it is
3:27
still taking the input separated with
3:29
comma. So you are using this as a limit
3:33
of separation like okay if there is any
3:35
hyphen then this is this is one element
3:38
and then it will check it will come here
3:40
and it will take it as one element then
3:42
it will take it as one element. So we
3:45
are using some medium to separate the
3:47
elements. It could be comma or any other
3:50
even the space empty space you can just
3:53
give empty space
3:59
or maybe so when you give this
4:08
one space 2 space 3 see it is still
4:11
taking it as a list so you just have to
4:13
give some medium so it'll be easy for
4:16
the Python program to understand that
4:18
hey this is one element this is one
4:19
element this is one element as we are
4:21
the humans we can understand we can see
4:23
the input you know we can sense it and
4:25
we can do it but how computer will
4:27
understand so that is why you have to
4:29
give some medium some space or any comma
4:32
or any special character so that it can
4:35
understand in the same way we have to
4:37
expect the user to give the input in the
4:40
same way so that is why we are giving
4:44
separated with comma
4:49
And here you will give comma. Okay.
4:54
So we are actually taking the input from
4:57
the user using the split method. So we
5:00
are taking the input we are using split
5:04
and then what if the input is empty.
5:10
Okay. Sometimes user might not give
5:13
anything. So what if the list is empty?
5:16
So here we are going to check the
5:18
condition if
5:21
if there is any input
5:33
if there is any input.
5:36
So as you guys know about boolean so if
5:39
condition will check whether the
5:41
condition is true or false. If this is
5:43
true then it will go to the else block.
5:45
Right?
5:48
If this is true then it will execute
5:52
this one. If not it will come here to
5:54
the else block. So what you're doing
5:56
here if and you know that other than
6:00
zero whatever the value that give will
6:02
be considered as true in programming
6:04
language. If you go and check the
6:06
previous episodes and if you if you guys
6:08
are following the previous episodes, you
6:11
guys now know that if there is nothing
6:15
like if there is a zero then it is
6:17
false. If there is one then it is true.
6:19
Other than one if there is any other
6:21
value then it is true. True itself. It
6:24
could be one or two or any list or any
6:27
item whatever is present we will
6:29
consider it as true. If there is
6:31
nothing, if there is zero even empty
6:34
list. So if there is nothing like zero,
6:37
then we will consider it as false. So
6:39
what if the user input is empty? So then
6:42
it will go to the else block. Pass is uh
6:46
actually a keyword where we can
6:48
sometimes you don't know what logic to
6:50
be written in that particular block. So
6:54
at the time you want to make this
6:57
program run even without writing
6:59
anything. So at that time it will not
7:02
throw error on us saying that there is
7:05
something wrong.
7:09
So it will eventually execute though you
7:11
give pass. So it will just pass the
7:13
statement. It will not show any error
7:16
something like that. So that's why I
7:17
used pass here. So now if user input
7:22
okay if user input is true then you are
7:24
going to add my list into it. It could
7:27
be 1 2 3 or maybe any other. Okay. But
7:31
what if the list is empty? So when list
7:34
is empty then you will just append my
7:37
list with the empty list itself. So it
7:40
will go to the else block. Like for
7:42
example I hope I'm clear with this. I'm
7:46
trying to explain trying to be better.
7:49
Okay.
7:51
So for example the user gave input
7:57
1A 2a 3. So it is something it is not
8:01
zero. It is not an empty list. So it is
8:03
something. So if something that means it
8:07
is true then the program will understand
8:10
okay this statement is true. Then I will
8:13
come here and I will add that list into
8:18
my list. So it is adding that 1 2 3 into
8:21
your list and then what happening you're
8:25
just printing. So obviously these two
8:28
lines will get executed. So once it get
8:31
executed then it will directly print my
8:33
list. It will skip the else block. We
8:36
have already gone through this. We know
8:38
the syntax of if statement before. Okay.
8:42
So this is what's happening. What if the
8:44
user gives empty list? So in programming
8:48
empty list empty uh space zero are
8:53
considered as false. So if condition
8:57
user input is empty that means this is
9:00
false. So obviously this block is
9:03
skipped and now the program goes to the
9:05
else part. And what we written in the
9:08
else part we actually give an empty list
9:12
to my list. So I give empty item in the
9:15
list.
9:16
So obviously now it will print an empty
9:20
element. So this is what we are doing.
9:23
So if statement you don't have to give
9:25
like this like
9:28
you don't have to give something like
9:30
this. You don't have to do that like if
9:34
the input is this only then I can do
9:38
that's fine. If input is 1 2 3 only I
9:41
will perform this operation. This also
9:43
will work. But some cases you don't have
9:46
to do give the entire condition. You
9:48
just want to check whether it is true or
9:50
false. Depends upon the condition. So in
9:53
this case I just want I just need some
9:56
input. It could be anything. It could be
9:58
1 2 3 3 4 5 maybe or any ABC it could be
10:02
anything. So I just want some input so
10:05
that something is satisfying here. So I
10:07
just gave user input. I hope I'm clear.
10:10
If you guys still have any doubts after
10:11
seeing this episode, you can drop it. It
10:13
will even explain it on pen and paper.
10:16
So it will be easy even for you.
10:19
So if this is true then it will update
10:21
my list with the elements that user
10:24
gave. If the list is empty then it will
10:25
update it with empty list itself. So now
10:28
we have to check whether the list is
10:30
empty or not. So
10:35
step three,
10:40
check
10:41
if the list is empty
10:47
or not.
10:51
So if
10:54
my list is empty, so so this is actually
10:59
considered as empty string, right? empty
11:01
list, right? So if my list is empty,
11:06
then print
11:11
list is empty.
11:20
If the list is not empty, then
11:26
print
11:31
list contains elements
11:39
my list. So now it will check whether
11:42
the list is empty or not.
11:49
Like for example 1, 2, 5, 6. List
11:56
contains elements 1 2 5 6. Okay.
12:05
What if you give empty list?
12:09
I gave empty. So it is showing the list
12:11
is empty.
12:13
Okay. So finally to check whether the
12:16
list is empty or not, we used if else
12:18
condition. So if the list is empty, if
12:23
the list is this empty, then print list
12:26
is empty otherwise list contains element
12:29
and show just the items whatever in the
12:32
list.
12:34
So there you go. You have just learned
12:36
how to check if a list is empty or not
12:38
in Python. It might feel tiny right now
12:41
or it might also feel heavy for you.
12:46
I'm saying it once again. If you feel it
12:49
not comfortable like if you don't
12:51
understand it just give me a comment.
12:54
I'm going to make using the pen and
12:57
paper because I literally trust working
13:00
on pen and paper rather than you know
13:02
typing and explaining the logic.
13:06
So I want you to sit and trace it
13:08
yourself and then you can understand the
13:10
magic the magic behind the scenes of
13:13
each and every line which has been run
13:15
by the interpreter. So it might um but
13:19
you know this skill will come in handy
13:21
when you're dealing with bigger problems
13:23
like validating user input or when
13:25
you're handling the missing data. So I
13:28
want you to uh stress that keep
13:30
practicing these basics because they are
13:33
the building blocks of everything else
13:35
because that is what we'll do later. All
13:38
right?
13:40
So keep practicing. They are going to be
13:43
the building blocks of everything else
13:44
we'll build later. So, if you enjoyed
13:48
this, give it a like, subscribe if
13:50
you're new, and I'll see you in the next
13:52
one. And yeah.