How to Convert String Representations of Lists into List Objects?

Converting String Representations of Lists to Lists

When working with strings that resemble lists, it becomes necessary to transform them into actual list objects for further processing. This article provides a comprehensive solution, addressing the following question:

How to convert a string representation of a list into a list object?

Solution:

To achieve this conversion, the ast.literal_eval() function plays a crucial role. Here's how it works:

fruits = "['apple', 'orange', 'banana']"
import ast
fruits = ast.literal_eval(fruits)

By utilizing ast.literal_eval(), we can safely convert the string representation of the list, ensuring that the resulting object is indeed a list. This conversion allows us to access and manipulate the list items as expected:

fruits[1]  # Output: 'orange'

Safety Considerations:

It's important to note that ast.literal_eval() should be used with caution, especially when dealing with untrusted sources. The ast.literal_eval() documentation emphasizes that it only supports specific Python literal structures, and any additional content could potentially compromise the safety of the evaluation.

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