Sorting functions are essential tools for data manipulation and set of rules in computer programming languages like python.

Sorting is a essential operation  used to arrange information for  searching, presentation, and analysis.

A type sort function generally takes a set of parameters  which includes numbers, strings, or custom objects, and then arranges them in ascending or descending order depending on the parameters.

Here are the main variations between sort and taken care of functions in Python

Python has two functions to sort the items, they look similar but have significant differences and choosing the right one can lead to correct results and performance improvements.

Here are the main differences between sort and sorted functions in Python

Input types

Sort() works only on lists, while sorted() can sort any iterable, such as tuples, sets, and dictionaries.

Calling methods

Sort() can be called directly on a list, while sorted() requires the iterable to be passed as an argument.

nums= [ 6,3,5,4,2,1 ]
nums.sort()
n = sorted(nums)

List handling

Python sort is an in-place method that modifies the original list, while sorted() returns a new sorted list. In the example above list nums is modified by sort() and a new list n is created by sorted()

Return Value

Sort() does not return any value but returns None, whereas sorted() returns the sorted list.
The sorted() function returns a list regardless of the type of iterable passed to it.

nums= [ 6,3,5,4,2,1 ]

result=nums.sort()

 

print(result)

None

 

print(nums). ## Original list is changed

[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

nums= [ 6,3,5,4,2,1 ]

 

n = sorted(nums)

 

print(n)

[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

 

print(nums).  ## Original list is unchanged

[ 6,3,5,4,2,1 ]

Sort Order

Sort() and sorted() both have a reverse parameter, boolean True or False,  that allows you to sort in descending order.

nums.sort(reverse=True)

print(nums)

[6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1]

nr=sorted(nums, reverse=True)

print(nr)

[6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1]

Speed of Operation

Sort() is generally faster than sorted() because it modifies the original list directly.

Usage

Sorted() is more useful when you want to keep the original list unchanged for example when the program refers to the list at multiple places and looks for the order of items.
Sort() is recommended when you don’t need the original order of the elements for example when the list status is finalized as a sorted list and all subsequent calls refer to the sorted list.

Sort internal

Sort() uses the less than (<) operator to compare elements, if any one comparison fails the sort operation fails.
sorted() uses the comparison operators.

Efficiency

Sort() is more efficient for large lists since it avoids the extra memory overhead of creating a new list. Sorted uses extra memory and processing to create new list.

Stable nature

Both sort() and sorted() are stable, meaning that elements with equal values maintain their relative order. This is to ensure that in a multiple column sort, multiple items with the same first column but different second columns maintain relative order.

Use cases

If you only need to sort a list and don’t care about the original order, sort() is the better choice.
If you want a sorted list without modifying the original, sorted() is the way to go.

Remember to choose between sort() and sorted() based on the specific requirements of your code.