sorting list of decimals in python

Question

I have the following list that I'd like to sort:

['104.900209904', '238.501860857', '9.59893298149', '362.470027924', '419.737339973']

I used the "sorted" function to do it:

Block1_Video1 = sorted(Block1_Video1)

However, this is what I get:

['104.900209904', '238.501860857', '362.470027924', '419.737339973', '9.59893298149']

Whereas this is what I want (a list sorted numerically, taking decimal points into account):

[''9.59893298149', 104.900209904', '238.501860857', '362.470027924', '419.737339973']

How can I accomplish this?

Your list is a list of strings, not numbers. It is sorting them alphabetically, not numerically. That is why it is acting funny. I'd post the answer but I see someone already bet me to it, I just wanted to elaborate on that. — Cody
– Cody, Commented Aug 17, 2016 at 20:38

Vamsi Prabhala · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-18 13:19:51Z

10

The sorting needs to be based on the float values of the corresponding strings in the list.

Block1_Video1 = ['104.900209904', '238.501860857', '9.59893298149', '362.470027924', '419.737339973']
sorted(Block1_Video1,key=lambda x:float(x))

Or simply use

sorted(Block1_Video1, key=float)

edited Aug 18, 2016 at 13:19

answered Aug 17, 2016 at 20:37

Vamsi Prabhala

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Daniel · Accepted Answer · 2016-08-17 20:38:47Z

1

You have to convert your strings in numbers first, this is possible with the key-Argument of the sorted function:

Block1_Video1 = sorted(Block1_Video1, key=float)

or as you assign the new list to the same variable, you can also sort in-place:

Block1_Video1.sort(key=float)

answered Aug 17, 2016 at 20:38

Daniel

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Comments

Akshay · Accepted Answer · 2025-02-16 14:29:21Z

-1

def sort_decimals(numbers: List[float]) -> List[float]: return sorted(numbers) print(sort_decimals(['104.900209904', '238.501860857', '9.59893298149', '362.470027924', '419.737339973']))

answered Feb 16 at 14:29

Akshay

1

1 Comment

Starship Feb 16 at 20:10

Don’t add code only answers. Explain what your code does why it works and how it helps to solve the problem.

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