How To Check If A List Is Empty In Python

In Python programming, it’s often necessary to check if a list is empty or not. Fortunately, Python provides several ways to do this. This tutorial will walk you through different methods to check if a list is empty in Python with examples. Let’s get started!

Method 1: Using the len() function

The most common way to check if a list is empty is to use the built-in len() function, which returns the number of elements in the list. You can check if the length of the list is equal to 0, which means that the list is empty. Here’s an example:

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my_list = []
 
if len(my_list) == 0:
    print("The list is empty!")
else:
    print("The list is not empty!")

Method 2: Using the not operator

Another way to check if a list is empty is to use the not operator. The not operator returns True if the list is empty, and False if it’s not. Here’s an example:

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my_list = []
 
if not my_list:
    print("The list is empty!")
else:
    print("The list is not empty!")

Method 3: Using the bool() function and the not operator

You can also use the bool() function along with the not operator to check if a list is empty. The bool() function returns False if the list is empty, and True if it’s not. Here’s how you can use this method:

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my_list = []
 
if not bool(my_list):
    print("The list is empty!")
else:
    print("The list is not empty!")

Full code

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# Method 1: Using the len() function
my_list = []
 
if len(my_list) == 0:
    print("The list is empty!")
else:
    print("The list is not empty!")
 
# Method 2: Using the not operator
my_list = []
 
if not my_list:
    print("The list is empty!")
else:
    print("The list is not empty!")
 
# Method 3: Using the bool() function and the not operator
my_list = []
 
if not bool(my_list):
    print("The list is empty!")
else:
    print("The list is not empty!")

Output

The list is empty!
The list is empty!
The list is empty!

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we covered three different methods to check if a list is empty in Python. Using the len() function is the most common and direct method while using the not operator is a more concise and Pythonic way. The bool() function with the not operator can also be used, although it’s not as common as the other two methods. Choose the method that best fits your needs and makes your code more readable and efficient.