Using the Python Append Method

The append function in Python

Lists are among the most commonly used data types in Python. They contain multiple elements: strings, numbers, dictionaries, etc. To add an extra element at the end of the list, we use the Python append function:

xList = ['yellow', 'red', 'blue'];
xList.append('green');

You can even append Python lists with other lists:

xList = ['yellow', 'red', 'blue'];
yList = ['1', '2', '3']
xList.append(yList);

The syntax for append in Python

Using the Python append method is simple – all you need to define is the list and the element to add:

list.append(element)

The append function in Python doesn't have a return value: it doesn't create any new, original lists. Instead, it updates a list that already exists, increasing its length by one.

Python append: useful tips

• To add elements of a list to another list, use the extend method. This way, the length of the list will increase by the number of elements added.
• To add an element to a specified location and not the end of the list, use the insert method. It takes two arguments: the index of the element it will be inserted after, and the new element to insert.