Convert Tuple to List in Python

In Python, tuples and lists are commonly used data structures, but they have different properties:

• Tuples are immutable: their elements cannot be changed after creation.
• Lists are mutable: they support adding, removing, or changing elements.

Sometimes, you may need to convert a tuple to a list for further manipulation.

For example:

tup = (1, 2, 3, 4)

To convert this into a list:

[1, 2, 3, 4]

Let's explore various methods to perform this conversion.

1. Using list() Constructor

The most straightforward and efficient way to convert a tuple into a list is by using the list() constructor.

tup = (1, 2, 3, 4)

a = list(tup)

print(a)

[1, 2, 3, 4]

Explanation:

• list(tup) takes the tuple t as input and returns a new list containing the same elements.
• Internally, it iterates over the tuple and stores each element in a list.

2. Using List Comprehension

List comprehension provides a clean and Pythonic way to convert a tuple to a list.

tup = (1, 2, 3, 4)

a = [item for item in tup]

print(a)  

[1, 2, 3, 4]

Explanation:

• list comprehension loops through each element item in the tuple tup.
• It collects each item into a new list.

3. Using Unpacking Operator *

The unpacking operator * can be used to unpack the elements of a tuple into a list.

tup = (1, 2, 3, 4)

a = [*tup]

print(a) 

[1, 2, 3, 4]

Explanation:

• * operator unpacks each item from the tuple.
• Placing it inside square brackets creates a list from the unpacked element.

4. Using for Loop (Manual Conversion)

A for loop can be used to manually convert a tuple into a list by iterating over its elements.

tup = (1, 2, 3, 4)

a = []

for item in tup:
    a.append(item)

print(a)

[1, 2, 3, 4]

Explanation:

• An empty list is initialized to store the elements.
• The loop iterates through the tuple, appending each element to the list.

5. Using map()

The map() function, combined with the identity function lambda x: x, can also convert a tuple into a list.

tup = (1, 2, 3, 4)

a = list(map(lambda x: x, tup))

print(a) 

[1, 2, 3, 4]

Explanation:

• map(lambda x: x, tup) applies the identity function to each element.
• It produces a map object containing the same elements as the tuple.
• list() then converts this object to a list.

Related articles:

• List comprehension
• map()
• tuples
• lists