How to make lists

Question

Having trouble making list:
I'm using syntax to make list as:
colors = [red, orange , yellow, green , purple] 
I've used with and without "" marks, still getting syntax error, I've watched video twice and not sure what I am missing to make list
lists.py
colors = ["red,orange,yellow,green,purple"]


Ryan S · Answer

Hi Sean,
If you want to create a list of strings, you'd need to make sure that each individual item is in quotes. Once you establish that, then each item will be separated by a comma outside of the quotes.
python
colors = ["red", "orange", "yellow", "green", "purple"]

Your first example (the one without quotes) would work if each item in the list was a variable. But you'd need to assign a value to them first.
python
red = "red"
orange = "orange"
yellow = "yellow"
green = "green"
purple = "purple"
colors = [red, orange, yellow, green, purple]

Your other example (the entire list of colors inside quotes) is really only creating a list with one item.
```python
colors = ["red,orange,yellow,green,purple"]
The one item in the list is "red,orange,yellow,green,purple"
```
Whatever is inside a pair of quotes is considered one item, a single string. So the commas are also included in that string.
Hope this helps.

Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Looking to learn something new?

Sean MacDiarmid

Sean MacDiarmid

How to make lists

1 Answer

Ryan S

Ryan S

Sean MacDiarmid

Sean MacDiarmid

Ryan S

Ryan S