The Code

Let’s take a look at the Python code that employs the sorted() function to order a list of students by their grades:

# Sample data: list of students with their names and grades

students = [{"name": "Alice", "grade": 90},

{"name": "Bob", "grade": 85},

{"name": "Charlie", "grade": 95}]

# Sort the students list by grade using the sorted() function

sorted_students = sorted(students, key=lambda x: x["grade"])

# Print the sorted list of students

print("Sorted students by grade:", sorted_students)

Output

Sorted students by grade: [{'name': 'Bob', 'grade': 85}, {'name': 'Alice', 'grade': 90}, {'name': 'Charlie', 'grade': 95}]

How It Works

The example begins by defining a list of students, each represented as a dictionary containing a name and a grade. The sorted() function is then applied to this list, sorting it based on the students' grades.

The sorted() function requires two parameters: the list to be sorted and an optional key parameter. The key parameter is a function that processes each element from the list, returning a value that guides the sorting order.

In this instance, we utilize a lambda function lambda x: x["grade"] to extract the grade from each student’s dictionary, which serves as the sorting criterion.

Once the sorted() function is invoked, the variable sorted_students will hold a new list of students ordered by their grades. Notably, the original list of students remains unchanged, as the sorted() function generates a new sorted list without altering the initial input.

Benefits and Applications

Employing the sorted() function in your Python projects presents numerous advantages:

• Simplicity: This function is user-friendly and requires minimal coding, making it easy to integrate into various applications.
• Efficiency: The sorted() function is part of Python's standard library and is optimized for performance, ensuring swift sorting of your data.
• Flexibility: The key parameter allows for customized sorting criteria, enabling sorting based on different attributes or combinations thereof.

Conclusion

The built-in sorted() function in Python is a powerful and adaptable tool that facilitates data management in your applications. By harnessing this functionality, you can effortlessly organize and sort data, enhancing the efficiency and user experience of your applications.

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