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Python Python Basics (2015) Python Data Types list.remove()

Alex Durham
PLUS
Alex Durham
Courses Plus Student 456 Points
Posted by Alex Durham
Alex Durham
Courses Plus Student 456 Points

how do i take an item out of a list

im not sure what i am doing wrong can anyone help?

lists.py 
states = [
    'ACTIVE',
    ['red', 'green', 'blue'],
    'CANCELLED',
    'FINISHED',
    5,
]
states.remove ('blue')

1 Answer

Alexander Davison
Alexander Davison
65,469 Points
Alexander Davison
Alexander Davison
65,469 Points

You are trying to remove an item with the value "blue", but that value doesn't appear inside the list. I know it appears in the list that's in the outer list, but Python's remove() method doesn't check that deep.

Even if Python does check the values inside the list's lists, it will only remove that one value, and the challenge wanted you to remove the whole list from the outer list.

So, You can either write this:

states.remove(['red', 'green', 'blue'])
OR

You can write this:

del states[1]

As you see, in the second code snippet, it's a little shorter. I prefer this way, but either way will do.