I'm trying to wrap my head around whether there's an actual difference between an element's index and its position in a list. For example, if I have a list like `listname = [a, b, c, d, e]`, I was told that the positions would be 1 for 'a', 2 for 'b', 3 for 'c', etc., while the indexes would be 0 for 'a', 1 for 'b', and so on. My professor insists they aren't the same thing, but he mentioned that his own professor once argued they are. Since I'm new to coding and Python, I'm not sure if the numerical difference is significant enough to declare them different, like how "hola" and "bonjour" are different on some levels. Also, this was assigned as a homework question, so I'm supposed to discuss it with people online. Throwaway account to keep it discreet!
4 Answers
This is more about semantics than programming logic. In natural language, we say the first item is '1', which we consider its position. In programming, the first item is often indexed as '0', which means it's the starting point for referencing elements. Some languages use a 1-based index (like Lua), which might feel more intuitive, but most modern languages go with the 0-based index approach, which is just a convention. Getting used to these differences takes time, but you'll get there!
It seems your professor is right! The position is what we usually talk about in everyday language (1 for 'a', 2 for 'b', etc.), while the index starts at 0, which is common in programming. This convention comes from languages like C, where an element’s location in memory is calculated based on its index. So while 'position' starts at 1, the 'index' begins at 0, which is crucial for coding in Python and many other languages.
I usually think of index and position as interchangeable, but I get where your professor is coming from. In programming, especially with lists or arrays, we typically start counting from 0 (index) which can be a bit tricky compared to how we count in everyday language (position). It’s an adjustment you’ll get used to as you practice more!
You're touching on a great point! Indexes allow random access to elements in a data structure. In Python, when you use `listname[0]`, you're getting the first element 'a', which has an index of 0. In many GUIs, you’d number it 1 for 'a', which is its position. So remember, index = 0 for the first element, position = 1!
Thanks for clarifying that! Just to add, it's really common for beginners to confuse the two, so don't feel bad about it. Understanding the index vs. position difference is a big step in coding!