Sorting Lists in Python

List Satellite

List Sorting Strategies

Use `list.sort()` for in-place ordering, `sorted()` for new lists, and custom keys for complex structures.

Compare APIsWrite custom keys

sort vs sorted

Method	Mutates original?	Returns
list.sort()	Yes	None
sorted(iterable)	No	New list

Custom keys

users.sort(key=lambda u: u.last_login, reverse=True)
sorted(products, key=lambda p: (p.category, p.price))

• key takes a function returning a value to compare.
• reverse=True flips ordering.

Stability

Python's sort is stable, meaning equal keys preserve original order. Use this for multi-step sorts.

Next up in your learning path

List methods reference

Review other list utilities.

Companion

Sorting nested data

Combine with nested lists/dicts.

Practice

Functional patterns

Pair sorting with comprehensions and map/filter.

Tip