Get index in the list of objects by attribute in Python


Lists are a common data structure in Python for storing a collection of objects. On occasion, you might need to locate the index of a certain item in the list using the value of a particular characteristic. This can be a difficult process, particularly if the list has a lot of things but Python has a simple method for obtaining the index in the list of objects by attribute which we will be exploring in this article.

Syntax

To find the index in the list of objects according to an attribute, use the syntax shown below −

index = next((i for i, obj in enumerate(my_list) if obj.attribute == desired_value), None)

The next() method, which provides the initial index of the object in the list that corresponds to the required attribute value, is used in this code to retrieve the next item in the generator expression. The None value is returned if no objects exist that match the specified attribute value.

Algorithm

  • You may iterate through each item in the list by using a generator expression.

  • Verify that the attribute value of the current object matches the expected value.

  • Return the index of the current object if the attribute value complies with the required value.

  • Return None if no objects exist that match the specified attribute value.

Example

Consider a situation where the issue is to find the file of the Representative item with a specific name property from a rundown of Worker objects.

class Employee:
   def __init__(self, name, age, salary):
      self.name = name
      self.age = age
      self.salary = salary

employees = [
   Employee("John", 30, 50000),
   Employee("Alice", 25, 45000),
   Employee("Bob", 35, 55000)
]

index = next((i for i, obj in enumerate(employees) if obj.name == "Alice"), None)

print(index)

Output

1

In this example, we define an Employee class with name, age, and salary attributes. We then create a list of Employee objects called employees. We want to find the index of the Employee object with the name "Alice". We use the next() function with a generator expression to iterate through each object in the employees list and check if the name attribute matches the desired value. If a matching object is found, the index is returned. If no object matches the desired attribute value, None is returned. In this case, the output is 1 since the Employee object with the name "Alice" is at index 1 in the employees list.

Applications

Numerous circumstances call for the ability to obtain the index in the list of objects by attribute. If you have a list of objects that represent items, for instance, and you want to locate the index of a product with a certain ID property. You could also wish to locate the index of a customer with a certain email property if you have a list of objects that represent customers. Applications for this feature are numerous, ranging from web creation to data analysis.

Conclusion

Getting the index in the list of objects by attribute is a frequent task in Python programming, to sum up. We may quickly determine the index of an item in a list based on a certain attribute value by utilizing the next() method in conjunction with a generator expression. Applications for this feature range widely, from web development to data analysis.

Updated on: 18-Jul-2023

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