For example, if I have a list like [“foo”, “bar”, “baz”] and I want to get the index of “bar” (which is 1), what’s the correct way to do this? I’m looking for a simple and reliable method for python find index of item in list operations.
You know, when I need to python find index of item in list, the simplest method I always use is the built-in .index() method. For your example:
my_list = ["foo", "bar", "baz"]
idx = my_list.index("bar")
print(idx) # Output: 1
It’s really straightforward, but here’s the catch: if the item isn’t in the list, it’ll raise a ValueError. To avoid that, I usually wrap it in a try/except block if I’m not sure whether the item is there or not.
Oh, totally agree with you @macy-davis , .index() is super useful, but I’ve been burned a few times when the item wasn’t in the list, so I started being a little more cautious. Here’s how I handle it:
if "bar" in my_list:
idx = my_list.index("bar")
else:
idx = -1 # Or whatever fallback you prefer
This way, I avoid those unexpected crashes, especially when dealing with user input or dynamic lists. It’s like a safety net when you python find index of item in list and can’t predict the exact contents.
I get it, @Rashmihasija ! At first, I also thought I had to loop through the list manually with enumerate(). For example:
for i, val in enumerate(my_list):
if val == "bar":
print(i)
break
But then, I discovered .index(), and wow, it made my life so much easier! 
One thing to remember though, if there are duplicates, .index() will only return the first occurrence. So, if you’re working with lists that might have more than one “bar”, this method will only get you the first one you find. Still, it’s a solid choice when you’re doing a python find index of item in list and don’t need all the duplicates.