How does the performance of lists compare to collections in Python?

How does the performance of lists compare to collections in Python?

In Python, lists are versatile but can be slower for certain operations compared to collections like deque or defaultdict.

What specific operations are slower with lists?

Lists can be slower for operations like insertions and deletions at the beginning, while collections like deque are optimized for that.

Are there any scenarios where lists are preferred over collections?

Yes, lists are preferred when you need ordered data and fast access by index, as they provide O(1) time complexity for indexing.

Can you give an example of when to use a defaultdict?

A defaultdict is useful when you want to group items by a key and avoid key errors, like counting occurrences of items.