Python 3内置函数和类

Question

When I am creating a list using below statement

a = list('jane')

Am I calling Python's built-in list function or instantiating list class.

My understanding is we are instantiating list class by passing 'jane' as argument.

However, the Python's documentation https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html says list() is built-in function.

Answer 1

Your question is answered by the very documentation page you mention :

class list([iterable])
Rather than being a function, list is actually a mutable sequence type, as documented in Lists and Sequence Types — list, tuple, range .

In Python, both classes and functions are callable, so in practice, you can treat them alike.

Answer 2

The docs explicitly say:

class list([iterable])

Rather than being a function, list is actually a mutable sequence type

You can easily check that:

>>> type(list)
type

if it was a function, function would be the output provided by using type .

You're instantiating a list object the same way you'd do if you created your own class and called it. type 's __call__ is essentially getting invoked and sets up your instance so, though they aren't a function per se, they are callable.

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The fact that they are listed in that specific section is probably for convenience, it might be confusing but reading the description of it is supposed to disambiguate this.

Answer 3

You are instantiating a list.

class list([iterable]) Rather than being a function, list is actually a mutable sequence type, as documented in Lists and Sequence Types — list, tuple, range.