Python sorting a list of dictionaries by the value of a key

Question

Sorry my first post has to be a question. I did some searching and couldn't find the way to sort a list of dictionaries based on one key.

Assume I have this list of dictionaries

[0]{Number:123, Name:Bill, Age:32, Sex:Male}
[1]{Number:93, Name:Billy, Age:23, Sex:Male}
[2]{Number:113, Name:Billie, Age:32, Sex:Female}
[3]{Number:8, Name:Wills, Age:3, Sex: Male}
[4]{Number:8, Name:Wills, Age:4, Sex: Male}
[5]{Number:8, Name:Wills, Age:5, Sex: Male}
[6]{Number:8, Name:Wills, Age:6, Sex: Male}

I'd like to sort or iterate over this list on Number:value and then by Age:value so that the new list is like this

[0]{Number:8, Name:Wills, Age:3, Sex: Male}
[1]{Number:8, Name:Wills, Age:4, Sex: Male}
[2]{Number:8, Name:Wills, Age:5, Sex: Male}
[3]{Number:8, Name:Wills, Age:6, Sex: Male}
[4]{Number:93, Name:Billy, Age:23, Sex:Male}
[5]{Number:113, Name:Billie, Age:32, Sex:Female}
[6]{Number:123, Name:Bill, Age:32, Sex:Male}

So far I've only been able to sort a key inside the list, which sorted the dict entry within the list, and kept the list indexes the same. Which wasn't what I wanted.

sorted_data_list = sorted(data_list, key = lambda x: x['Number'])

edit: made list contiguous.

Sorry I had been del from a list but not this one. It is contiguous. — Joylove
– Joylove, Commented Jul 26, 2017 at 3:56
Your question's been answered, but for next time you can just include a small portion of the real data - what you've posted doesn't make sense as Python, so it's hard to figure out what you're trying to do. — perigon
– perigon, Commented Jul 26, 2017 at 4:17

user2341726 · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-26 04:33:07Z

2

Change the key to lambda x: (x['Number'], x['Age'])

This creates a tuple, and tuples are sorted by first element, then second element.

edited Jul 26, 2017 at 4:33

answered Jul 26, 2017 at 3:52

user2341726

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5 Comments

Joylove Over a year ago

sorted_data_list = sorted(data_list, key = lambda[x]: (x['Number'], x['Age'])) gives a syntax error on the [x] (debugger says formal parameter name expected)

perigon Over a year ago

Should be lambda x, not lambda [x]

user2341726 Over a year ago

Oh yes, my mistake. Should be lambda x (without the []) instead

Joylove Over a year ago

Thanks gentlemen. Marking as answer with sorted_data_list = sorted(data_list, key = lambda x: (x['Number'], x['Age']))

perigon Over a year ago

@Joylove no need to assume folks are gentlemen.

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