Python: How do you add a list to a list of lists in python?

Question

I am learning python so this question may be a simple question, I am creating a list of cars and their details in a list as bellow:

car_specs = [("1. Ford Fiesta - Studio", ["3", "54mpg", "Manual", "£9,995"]),
             ("2. Ford Focous - Studio", ["5", "48mpg", "Manual", "£17,295"]),
             ("3. Vauxhall Corsa STING", ["3", "53mpg", "Manual", "£8,995"]),
             ("4. VW Golf - S", ["5", "88mpg", "Manual", "£17,175"])
            ]

I have then created a part for adding another car as follows:

new_name = input("What is the name of the new car?")
new_doors = input("How many doors does it have?")
new_efficency = input("What is the fuel efficency of the new car?")
new_gearbox = input("What type of gearbox?")
new_price = input("How much does the new car cost?")
car_specs.insert(len(car_specs), (new_name[new_doors, new_efficency, new_gearbox, new_price]))

It isnt working though and comes up with this error:

Would you like to add a new car?(Y/N)Y
What is the name of the new car?test
How many doors does it have?123456
What is the fuel efficency of the new car?23456
What type of gearbox?234567
How much does the new car cost?234567
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/JagoStrong-Wright/Documents/School Work/Computer Science/car list.py", line 35, in <module>
    car_specs.insert(len(car_specs), (new_name[new_doors, new_efficency, new_gearbox, new_price]))
TypeError: string indices must be integers
>>> 

Anyones help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Answer 1

Just append the tuple to the list making sure to separate new_name from the list with a , :

new_name = input("What is the name of the new car?")
new_doors = input("How many doors does it have?")
new_efficency = input("What is the fuel efficency of the new car?")
new_gearbox = input("What type of gearbox?")
new_price = input("How much does the new car cost?")
car_specs.append(("{}. {}".format(len(car_specs) + 1,new_name),[new_doors, new_efficency, new_gearbox, new_price]))

I would use a dict to store the data instead:

car_specs = {'2. Ford Focous - Studio': ['5', '48mpg', 'Manual', '\xc2\xa317,295'], '1. Ford Fiesta - Studio': ['3', '54mpg', 'Manual', '\xc2\xa39,995'], '3. Vauxhall Corsa STING': ['3', '53mpg', 'Manual', '\xc2\xa38,995'], '4. VW Golf - S': ['5', '88mpg', 'Manual', '\xc2\xa317,175']}

Then add new cars using:

car_specs["{}. {}".format(len(car_specs)+1,new_name)] = [new_doors, new_efficency, new_gearbox, new_price]

Answer 2

You are not setting the first element go your tuple correctly. You are appending the name to the length of car specs as you expect.

Also new_name is as string, when you do new_name[x] your asking python for the x+1th character in that string.

new_name = input("What is the name of the new car?")
new_doors = input("How many doors does it have?")
new_efficency = input("What is the fuel efficency of the new car?")
new_gearbox = input("What type of gearbox?")
new_price = input("How much does the new car cost?")
car_specs.insert(str(len(car_specs + 1))+'. - ' + name, [new_doors, new_efficency, new_gearbox, new_price])