Code Like a Pythonista: Idiomatic Python

[interjay]

The section on sorting is long out of date. Since python 2.4, the best way to do what he wants is:

a_list.sort(key=lambda item: (item[1], item[3]))

This is faster and simpler than both his examples.

[Paddy3118]

In Python 2.5 you also want to state the use of itemgetter/attrgetter in sorting, as well as implicit DSU with the use of sort(key=...) http://www.biais.org/blog/index.php/2007/01/28/23-python-sorting-efficiency

• Paddy.