How do I use the bisect module in Python?

How do I use the bisect module in Python?

The bisect module in Python helps you maintain a list in sorted order without having to sort the list repeatedly. You can use functions like bisect_left and bisect_right to find insertion points.

Can you give me an example of how to use bisect_left?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

import bisect

my_list = [1, 3, 4, 4, 5]
insertion_point = bisect.bisect_left(my_list, 4)
print(insertion_point)  # Output: 2

This finds the index where 4 can be inserted to maintain sorted order.

What about bisect_right? How is it different?

bisect_right works similarly but returns the index to insert the element to the right of existing entries. For example:

insertion_point = bisect.bisect_right(my_list, 4)
print(insertion_point)  # Output: 4

This means 4 can be inserted at index 4, after the existing 4s.

Are there any other useful functions in the bisect module?

Yes! Besides bisect_left and bisect_right, you can also use insort_left and insort_right to insert elements while maintaining order.