A quick overview over lists, dictionaries and tuples.

Literal notation (empty)

list = [] 
dict = {}
tuple = () 

Literal notation (one or more elements)

list = [1]
list = [1,2,3]
dict = {"key1": value1}
dict = {"key1": value1, "key2": value2}
tuple = 1, # equal to tuple = (1,)

Lists usage overview

li = [1,2,3]
print li[0]  # 1 - first
print li[0:2]  # [1, 2]
print li[:2]  # [1, 2]
print li[-1]  # 3 - last

len(li) # 3 - returns length
li.extend([4,5]) # [1,2,3,4,5] - adds items
li.append([6,7]) # [1,2,3,4,5, [6,7] ] - adds list of items
li.remove(2) # [1,3,4,5, [6,7] ]
li.pop() # [1,3,4,5] - removes the last (stack)
li.pop(0) # [3,4,5] - removes the first (queue)
li = li + [8,9] # [3,4,5,8,9]
li = li + [10] * 2 # [3,4,5,8,9,10,10]

li.index(5) # 2 - position of item 5 (starting from zero)
1 in li # True

Dictionaries usage overview

dic = { “server”: “a”, “database” : “db” }
print dic[“server”] # “a”
dic[“server”] = “b” # { “server”: “b”, “database” : “db” }
del dic[“server”] # { “database” : “db” }
dic.clear() # {}

Tuples usage overview

Tuples don't have access to extend, append, remove or pop but we can add items with concatenation + or change its contents.

tuple = (1,2,3)
print tuple[0]  # 1 - first
print tuple[0:2]  # (1, 2)
print tuple[:2]  # (1, 2)
print tuple[-1]  # 3 - last

print len(tuple) # 3 - returns length
tuple = tuple + (8,9) # (1,3,4,5,8,9)
tuple = tuple + (10,) * 2 # (1,3,4,5,8,9,10,10)

print tuple.index(4) # 2 - position of item 4 (starting from zero)
print 1 in tuple # True

##changing the content of a tuple
another_tuple = [],
another_tuple[0].extend( [1,2,3] ) # ( [1,2,3], )
another_tuple[0].pop() # ( [1,2], )
another_tuple[0].clear() # ( [], )