This is a simple question on deleting a list element in Python.
What will be the output of the following code:
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
for i in numbers:
if i % 2 == 0:
# A. Delete the current element from the list
del numbers[i]
# B. Increment the current element by 1
else:
numbers[i] += 1
print(numbers)
Select an option:🤔🧐
D: is the correct answer.
The code will result in a List index out of range
error.
Here’s why:
- Modifying the list while iterating:
- The code attempts to modify the
numbers
list while iterating over it. This can lead to unexpected behavior, especially when deleting elements.
- The code attempts to modify the
- Deleting elements shifts indices:
- When you delete an element using
del numbers[i]
, the remaining elements to the right of the deleted element are shifted left, and their indices change. - However, the loop variable
i
continues to increment as if those elements were still in their original positions.
- When you delete an element using
- Accessing shifted indices:
- This mismatch causes the error.
- When the loop reaches an index that was previously occupied by a deleted element, it tries to access an element that no longer exists, resulting in the
List index out of range
error.