|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +Title: 'UserList' |
| 3 | +Description: 'Wrapper around list objects for easier list subclassing.' |
| 4 | +Subjects: |
| 5 | + - 'Code Foundations' |
| 6 | + - 'Computer Science' |
| 7 | +Tags: |
| 8 | + - 'Classes' |
| 9 | + - 'Modules' |
| 10 | + - 'Python' |
| 11 | +CatalogContent: |
| 12 | + - 'learn-python-3' |
| 13 | + - 'paths/computer-science' |
| 14 | +--- |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +The **`UserList`** class from the `collections` module acts as a wrapper around the built-in [`list`](https://www.codecademy.com/resources/docs/python/lists) type, to create custom list-like [classes](https://www.codecademy.com/resources/docs/python/classes) with modified behavior or new functionalities. Although directly subclassing Python’s list reduces the need for this class, UserList remains available in the standard library for convenience and backward compatibility. |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +## Syntax |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +```pseudo |
| 21 | +collections.UserList([list]) |
| 22 | +``` |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +**Parameters:** |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +- `list`: A regular list object used to store the contents of the UserList class. The list is empty by default and can be accessed via the UserList `data` attribute. |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +**Return value:** |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +Returns a `collections.UserList` instance that behaves like a standard Python list. |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +## Example: Basic Usage of `collections.UserList` |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +This example showcases a basic use of `UserList` as a wrapper around a list: |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +```py |
| 37 | +from collections import UserList |
| 38 | + |
| 39 | +# Create a regular list |
| 40 | +l = ['USD', 'GBP', 'EUR'] |
| 41 | +print(l) |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +# Instantiate a UserList object from the list |
| 44 | +ul = UserList(l) |
| 45 | +print(ul) |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | +# Print out the data type for each instantiated object |
| 48 | +print(type(l)) |
| 49 | +print(type(ul)) |
| 50 | +``` |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +The code returns the following output: |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +```shell |
| 55 | +['USD', 'GBP', 'EUR'] |
| 56 | +['USD', 'GBP', 'EUR'] |
| 57 | +<class 'list'> |
| 58 | +<class 'collections.UserList'> |
| 59 | +``` |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +The `UserList` behaves like a standard list, but its contents are stored in the `data` attribute: |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +```py |
| 64 | +print(ul.data) # Access the underlying list |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +# Append a new item |
| 67 | +ul.append('$') |
| 68 | +print(ul) |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +# Remove an item |
| 71 | +ul.remove('$') |
| 72 | + |
| 73 | +# Sort the list-like object in ascending order |
| 74 | +ul.sort() |
| 75 | +print(ul) |
| 76 | +``` |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +The above code will return the following output: |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +```shell |
| 81 | +['USD', 'GBP', 'EUR'] |
| 82 | +['USD', 'GBP', 'EUR', '$'] |
| 83 | +['EUR', 'GBP', 'USD'] |
| 84 | +``` |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +## Codebyte Example: Creating a Custom List Using `UserList` |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +The following example demonstrates how `UserList` can be subclassed to restrict unwanted behavior, here, preventing negative numbers from being added: |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +```codebyte/python |
| 91 | +from collections import UserList |
| 92 | +
|
| 93 | +# Custom list that disallows negative numbers |
| 94 | +class PositiveList(UserList): |
| 95 | + def append(self, item): |
| 96 | + if item < 0: |
| 97 | + print("Negative values not allowed!") |
| 98 | + else: |
| 99 | + super().append(item) |
| 100 | +
|
| 101 | +# Create and modify the custom UserList |
| 102 | +pl = PositiveList([1, 3, 5]) |
| 103 | +print("Initial list:", pl) |
| 104 | +
|
| 105 | +pl.append(10) |
| 106 | +pl.append(-4) # This will trigger the custom rule |
| 107 | +print("Final list:", pl) |
| 108 | +``` |
0 commit comments