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Asked: 2024-09-23T02:33:22+05:30 In:

What is the reason for having a method like join on the string class instead of having it as a method of the list class in Python?

Hey everyone!

I was thinking about string manipulation in Python, and I came across the `join` method. It got me curious: why does the string class have a method like `join`, instead of it being a method of the list class? I mean, it feels like it would make sense for lists, since you’re typically joining them together to create a string.

What do you all think? Is there a particular reason for this design choice? Are there benefits to having it on the string class instead? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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    2 Answers






    1. Discussion on Python’s join Method

      Discussion on Python’s `join` Method

      Hi there!

      I get what you’re saying about the `join` method being on the string class instead of the list class. It does seem a bit confusing at first!

      One reason for this design choice is that `join` is used to concatenate a list (or any iterable) of strings into a single string, and the string you call `join` on is what separates those elements. For example:

      my_list = ['hello', 'world']
result = ' '.join(my_list)  # This joins the list with a space between words

      Here, the space character creates a string out of the list, which makes sense since you are specifying how you want to “join” the items using that specific string.

      If `join` were a method of the list class, it would need to have a string parameter to define the separator, which might complicate its usage. Having it on the string class makes it more intuitive because you can directly see what the result will look like depending on the string you use to call it.

      Plus, it’s really handy since you can use any string (including an empty string) as the separator when calling `join`, giving you flexibility.

      So, in summary, keeping `join` in the string class helps with clarity and usability. What do you think? I’d love to hear more ideas!



    2. The design decision to place the `join` method on the string class in Python can be attributed to the principle of separation of concerns, where each class is responsible for its own domain. In this case, the string class is designed to handle operations directly related to string manipulation, while the list class is focused on managing collections of items. By having `join` as a string method, it emphasizes that the operation is about creating a string output from multiple elements, rather than just manipulating a list. This distinction can lead to clearer and more expressive code, as it clearly indicates the intention of converting a list of items into a single string with a specified separator.

      Additionally, having `join` on the string class can be more efficient in terms of how string concatenation is handled in Python. When `join` is called on a string with a list of strings as its argument, it leverages efficient internal mechanisms for building the final string, rather than repeatedly concatenating strings, which can lead to performance inefficiencies. This design allows for a more idiomatic and Pythonic way of working with strings, particularly when working with iterable objects. Overall, it promotes better readability and adherence to best practices within the language.


    3. Best Answer

      The `join` method is provided by the string class because it is used to concatenate an iterable of strings. The method needs a specific string to use as a separator or delimiter between the elements of the iterable, which is why it is more intuitive and logically consistent to call `join` on the delimiter string itself rather than on the list.

      For example, we may want to join a list of words with a comma to create a single, comma-separated string. The code would look like this:

      

      

      words = ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
      

      result = ', '.join(words)
      

      print(result)  # Output: apple, banana, cherry
      

      

      In this example, ‘, ‘ is the delimiter that we want to insert between each element of the list `words`. By calling join on the delimiter ‘, ‘, the intention of the operation is clear: insert the delimiter string between list items.
      

      

      One of the benefits of having `join` as a string method is that it enforces the requirement that the items of the iterable must be strings; this is because only strings can be meaningfully concatenated with other strings using a string separator. If `join` were a list method, it would need additional logic to convert non-string elements to strings or to handle cases where the elements are not strings.
      

      

      Moreover, join being on the string class aligns with the concept of polymorphism where different types of iter
      
							
      
							
      
														
      
														
      
							
      
								
															
      
						
      
						
      
					
      
				
      
							
		
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