Built-in module array

array This module defines a new object type which can efficiently represent an array of basic values: characters, integers, floating point numbers. Arrays are sequence types and behave very much like lists, except that the type of objects stored in them is constrained. The type is specified at object creation time by using a type code, which is a single character. The following type codes are defined:
$\begin{tableiii}{\vert c\vert c\vert c\vert}{code}{Typecode}{Type}{Minimal size ... ...\lineiii{'f'}{floating point}{4} \lineiii{'d'}{floating point}{8} \end{tableiii}$
The actual representation of values is determined by the machine architecture (strictly speaking, by the C implementation). The actual size can be accessed through the typecode attribute. The module defines the following function:
$\begin{funcdesc}{array}{typecode\optional{\, initializer}} Return a new array wh... ...omstring()} method (see below) to add initial items to the array. \end{funcdesc}$
Array objects support the following data items and methods:
$\begin{datadesc}{typecode} The typecode character used to create the array. \end{datadesc}$

$\begin{datadesc}{itemsize} The length in bytes of one array item in the internal representation. \end{datadesc}$

$\begin{funcdesc}{append}{x} Append a new item with value \var{x} to the end of the array. \end{funcdesc}$

$\begin{funcdesc}{byteswap}{x} \lq\lq Byteswap'' all items of the array. This is only ... ...ata from a file written on a machine with a different byte order. \end{funcdesc}$

$\begin{funcdesc}{fromfile}{f\, n} Read \var{n} items (as machine values) from th... ... the items that were available are still inserted into the array. \end{funcdesc}$

$\begin{funcdesc}{fromlist}{list} Appends items from the list. This is equivalent... ...x)} except that if there is a type error, the array is unchanged. \end{funcdesc}$

$\begin{funcdesc}{fromstring}{s} Appends items from the string, interpreting the ... ...it had been read from a file using the \code{fromfile()} method). \end{funcdesc}$

$\begin{funcdesc}{insert}{i\, x} Insert a new item with value \var{x} in the array before position \var{i}. \end{funcdesc}$

$\begin{funcdesc}{tofile}{f} Write all items (as machine values) to the file object \var{f}. \end{funcdesc}$

$\begin{funcdesc}{tolist}{} Convert the array to an ordinary list with the same items. \end{funcdesc}$

$\begin{funcdesc}{tostring}{} Convert the array to an array of machine values and... ...s that would be written to a file by the \code{tofile()} method.) \end{funcdesc}$
When an array object is printed or converted to a string, it is represented as array(typecode, initializer). The initializer is omitted if the array is empty, otherwise it is a string if the typecode is 'c', otherwise it is a list of numbers. The string is guaranteed to be able to be converted back to an array with the same type and value using reverse quotes (``). Examples:

array('l')
array('c', 'hello world')
array('l', [1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
array('d', [1.0, 2.0, 3.14])