Cloning a list in Python
· 7 min read
Cloning a list in Python is essential to avoid unintended side effects, as simply assigning one list to another with the equals sign (=
) creates a reference, not a new copy [1]. This means both variables point to the same list object in memory, and modifying one will modify the other. To properly clone a list, you need to understand the difference between a shallow copy and a deep copy.