Answer: You can get the last element of the list in Python by negative indexing.
Python is an interactive programming language and a list in Python is the data type that stores the collection of items in single variables. There are a few more methods to get the last elements such as the len() function, pop() method, slicing, for loop, and deque method. Let’s explore all the approaches in Python to get the last element of the list with the help of examples in this blog!
Table of Contents:
Methods to Get the Last Element of a List in Python
Following are some commonly used methods that you can use to get the last element of a list in Python:
Method 1: Using Negative Indexing to Get the Last Element of a List in Python
This method operates by searching for the element from the last of the list. [-1] refers to the last element of the list_1.
Example:
Output:
Explanation: This is the simplest method for getting the last element from the list without calculating the index. In Python, this is done by using [-1] negative indexing in Python.
Method 2: Using len( ) Method to Get the Last Element of a List in Python
The last element index can be calculated from the total length of the list by the len() function and subtracting [-1] from it.
Example:
Output:
Explanation: The len(list_a) returns the total number of elements and subtracts 1 from it, which is used to get the last element of the list.
Method 3: Using pop( ) Method to Get the Last Element of a List in Python
This method throws out the last element from the list and it can also be used to change the list item by removing the last element.
Example:
Output:
Explanation: Here, the last element ‘dictionary’ is removed from list_1 using the pop().
Method 4: Using Slicing to Get the Last Element of a List in Python
We can get the sublist from a list by mentioning its starting and ending index [stating index: ending index]. You can get the last element by [-1 :] in slicing.
Example:
Output:
Explanation: The list_a[-1:] slices the last element from the list that is ‘Data.
Method 5: Using for loop to Get the Last Element of a List in Python
The final element can be obtained by iterating through it using the for loop. You obtain the final element after the loop is finished.
Example:
Output:
Explanation: For loop is used to iterate over list_a and get the last element from it.
Method 6: Using ‘deque’ Method to Get the Last Element of a List in Python
It is the data structure. We get deque from the collection. It generally allows to pop of the element from the end and also allows to append of the element. This can be done by deque[-1].
Example:
Output:
Explanation: When you are giving the list as the input, you can get the last element from the list using my_deque[-1].
Method 7: Using next() Function to Get the Last Element of a List in Python
Using the next() function directly to get the last element from a list isn’t the typical approach, as next() is usually used with iterators. However, you can still achieve this by converting the list to an iterator and then iterating through it. Here’s how you can get the last element from a list using next()
Example:
Output:
Explanation: The next() function is used to get the list element DSA from the list as it is used as an iterator.
Method 8: Using reversed() Function to Get the Last Element of a List in Python
The reversed() function lets you go through a list backward. When you use the next() function, it gives you the last item in that list.
Example:
Output:
Explanation: When you use reversed(languages), you’re making the languages list go backward. Then, when you use next() on that reversed list, it gives you the last item from the original list.
You can use itertools.islice() to get the last item without having to check every single one.
Example:
Output:
Explanation: Using islice(frameworks, len(frameworks) – 1, None), you can get items starting from the last index. Then, when you use next(), it gives you the last item from that part of the list.
Conclusion
The last item in the list of items is retrieved with the help of negative indexing, slicing, the pop() function, the deque() function, and the reversed() function. Deque helps when dealing with large sets of data because it offers quick access to the last item. The reversed() function produces an iterator that helps in the easy retrieval of the last item. With this knowledge, you can easily access the last item on the list.