Python zip list of lists

Use the * operator to zip a list of lists in Python. Another way is to use a combination of itertools.chain() + zip() methods.

Python zip list of lists

Simple example code.

a = [[2, 4], [6, 8], [10, 12]]
b = [['a', 'b', 'c'], ['1', '2', '3']]

res = zip(*a, *b)
print(list(res))

Output:

Let’s a combination of these itertools.chain() and zip() functions. The chain() function can perform the inter-list aggregation, and the final aggregation is done by the zip() method.

import itertools

a = [[2, 4], [6, 8], [10, 12]]
b = [['a', 'b', 'c'], ['1', '2', '3']]

op = [list(itertools.chain(*i))
      for i in zip(a, b)]

print(list(op))

Output:

[[2, 4, ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’], [6, 8, ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’]]

An efficient way to zip a list with lists nested in another list in Python

Use * operator (Read doc Unpacking Argument Lists)

a = [1, 2, 3]
b = [['a', 'b', 'c'], ['1', '2', '3']]

res = zip(a, *b)
print(list(res))

Output:

[(1, ‘a’, ‘1’), (2, ‘b’, ‘2’), (3, ‘c’, ‘3’)]

Do comment if you have any doubts or suggestions on this Python zip topic.

Note: IDE: PyCharm 2021.3.3 (Community Edition)
Windows 10
Python 3.10.1
All Python Examples are in Python 3, so Maybe its different from python 2 or upgraded versions.

Python zip list of lists