Python: Find in list

Question

I have come across this:

item = someSortOfSelection()
if item in myList:
    doMySpecialFunction(item)

but sometimes it does not work with

Answer 1

You may want to use one of two possible searches while working with list of strings:

1. if list element is equal to an item ('example' is in ['one','example','two']):

   if item in your_list: some_function_on_true()

   'ex' in ['one','ex','two'] => True

   'ex_1' in ['one','ex','two'] => False

2. if list element is like an item ('ex' is in ['one,'example','two'] or 'example_1' is in ['one','example','two']):

   matches = [el for el in your_list if item in el]

   or

   matches = [el for el in your_list if el in item]

   then just check len(matches) or read them if needed.