Sorting Lists in Python Using Key Functions: A Developer's Guide
The sort() and sorted() functions in Python become even more powerful when used with the key parameter. This parameter allows developers to define a custom sorting rule using functions or lambda expressions. In this guide, we’ll show you how to use the key parameter to sort complex data structures, such as lists of dictionaries or tuples. By leveraging key functions, you can create more readable and maintainable code when sorting lists by multiple criteria or by nested values. We will also demonstrate sorting by string length, alphabetical order, and even dates.