What are the options to clone or copy a list in Python? In Python 3, a shallow copy can be made with: a_copy = a_list.copy() In Python 2 and 3, you can get a shallow copy with a full slice of the original: a_copy = a_list[:] Explanation. There are two semantic ways to copy a list.

Dec 12, 2024 · The copy() method in Python is used to create a shallow copy of a list. This means that the method creates a new list containing the same elements as the original list but maintains its own identity in memory.

Use the copy() method. You can use the built-in List method copy() to copy a list.

Feb 12, 2025 · The copy() method creates a new list with the same elements as the original. It is a shallow copy, meaning it copies the references of nested objects, not the objects themselves. Let’s explore some more ways and see how we can clone or copy a list in Python.

Feb 13, 2014 · If the elements are mutable objects they are passed by reference, you have to use deepcopy to really copy them. It will only copy references that are held by the list. If an element in the list holds a reference to another object, that won't be copied. 9 times out of 10 you just need the shallow copy.

In this tutorial, we will learn about the Python List copy () method with the help of examples.

Sep 14, 2022 · This tutorial discussed several different ways for copying a list in Python, such as the assignment operator, list slicing syntax, list.copy(), copy.copy(), and copy.deepcopy functions. Also, we discussed shallow and deep copies.

Mar 28, 2020 · In this article, we will be understanding various techniques to copy a list in Python. Python List is a data structure to store and manipulate the data values. Python built-in extend () method can be used to copy the elements of a list to another list.

Mar 12, 2025 · To use the copy module, you have toi first import it in your Python script by the following command: import copy. Syntax and Functions 1. copy.copy(obj) (Shallow Copy) Syntax: copy.copy(obj) Parameters: obj: object to be copied. Returns: shallow copy of obj, where only the outer object is duplicated, while nested objects remain referenced.

Mar 8, 2018 · In short, there are so many different ways to copy a list. In this article alone, we share eight solutions. If you’re looking for something safe, use the copy method (i.e. my_list.copy()). Otherwise, feel free to try slicing (i.e. my_list[:]) or the …