Python’s Top 10 Built-in Functions That Every Programmer Should Know

Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world for its simplicity and versatility. And one of the reasons why Python is so well-liked is because of its built-in functions — pre-defined functions ready to use right out of the box — that make a programmer’s job much easier.

Here are Python’s top 10 built-in functions that every programmer should know:

1. print()

This function allows a programmer to output text, variables, and more to the console. For example:

name = "Alice"
print("My name is", name)

Output:

My name is Alice

2. len()

This function allows a programmer to determine the length of a string, list, or other iterable object. For example:

name = "Alice"
print(len(name))

Output:

5

3. type()

This function allows a programmer to determine the type of a variable, whether it’s an integer, float, string, or other data type. For example:

x = 4.5
print(type(x))

Output:

<class 'float'>

4. input()

This function allows a programmer to get input from the user via the console. For example:

name = input("What is your name? ")
print("Hello,", name)

Output:

What is your name? Bob
Hello, Bob

5. range()

This function allows a programmer to generate a range of integers, making it useful for creating loops, such as for loops. For example:

for i in range(0, 5):
    print(i)

Output:

0
1
2
3
4

6. list()

This function allows a programmer to convert any iterable object into a list. For example:

string = "Python"
lst = list(string)
print(lst)

Output:

['P', 'y', 't', 'h', 'o', 'n']

7. sorted()

This function allows a programmer to sort a list. For example:

lst = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6, 5, 3, 5]
sorted_lst = sorted(lst)
print(sorted_lst)

Output:

[1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 9]

8. max() and min()

These functions allow a programmer to find the maximum and minimum values of a list. For example:

lst = [3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6, 5, 3, 5]
max_value = max(lst)
min_value = min(lst)
print("Maximum value is:", max_value)
print("Minimum value is:", min_value)

Output:

Maximum value is: 9
Minimum value is: 1

9. sum()

This function allows a programmer to find the sum of a list of numbers. For example:

lst = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
sum_lst = sum(lst)
print("The sum of the list is:", sum_lst)

Output:

The sum of the list is: 15

10. zip()

This function allows a programmer to combine multiple lists into a single list, where each element is a tuple representation of the corresponding elements in the original lists. For example:

lst1 = [1, 2, 3]
lst2 = ["a", "b", "c"]
zipped_lst = zip(lst1, lst2)
print(list(zipped_lst))

Output:

[(1, 'a'), (2, 'b'), (3, 'c')]

These are just 10 of the many built-in Python functions available to programmers. By familiarizing yourself with these functions and their uses, you can streamline your coding process and make it more efficient. Happy coding!