How Can I Randomly Select an Item from a Python List?

Selecting an Item Randomly from a List in Python

In Python, there are multiple ways to randomly choose an item from a list. One of the most commonly used methods is random.choice().

Using random.choice()

random.choice() is a function that randomly selects an element from a given sequence. To use it, simply pass the list as an argument to the function. For example:

import random

foo = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
print(random.choice(foo))

This code will output one of the elements in the foo list at random.

Cryptographically Secure Randomness

For applications where cryptographically secure randomness is required (e.g., generating passwords), Python offers secrets.choice(). This function is new in Python 3.6 and provides a more secure alternative to random.choice().

import secrets

foo = ['battery', 'correct', 'horse', 'staple']
print(secrets.choice(foo))

random.SystemRandom for Older Python Versions

If you are using an older version of Python, you can use random.SystemRandom to obtain a cryptographically secure random choice. The syntax is similar to random.choice():

import random

secure_random = random.SystemRandom()
print(secure_random.choice(foo))

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