How can I fetch mysql single column list results directly into a list in python?

Question

I have a mysql call:

zip = 48326

cursor.execute ("""
    select distinct(name) 
      from usertab 
     where zip= %s
""" , (zip))

result = cursor.fetchall()

The result is returned in a tuple that looks like this:

result = (('alan',), ('bob',), ('steve',), ('tom',))

But I need a list like this:

mylist= ['alan', 'bob', 'steve', 'tom']

So I process the tuple into a list like this:

mylist = []

for row, key in enumerate(result):
    for col, data in enumerate(key):
        mylist.append(data)

This code works, but I'd like a simpler way.
How can I fetch a mysql single column result directly into a list?

Thanks to Tadeck and Pawelmhm... I compacted my mysql fetch to this: mylist = [row[0] for row in cursor.fetchall()] — panofish
– panofish, Commented Jul 11, 2013 at 15:16

Tadeck · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-11 14:51:43Z

10

Do it like that, using list comprehension:

mylist = [row[0] for row in result]

It will flatten your result and create list from it.

Another approach, without list comprehension:

from itertools import chain
mylist = list(chain.from_iterable(result))

It will flatten a result and convert it to list.

edited Jul 11, 2013 at 14:51

answered Jul 11, 2013 at 14:46

Tadeck

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Comments

Pawel Miech · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-11 14:47:55Z

0

75 % of Python question on StackOverflow can be answered with the words: "list comprehension";)

Here is a solution using list comp:

>>> result = (('alan',), ('bob',), ('steve',), ('tom',))
>>> mylist = [i[0] for i in result]
>>> mylist 
['alan', 'bob', 'steve', 'tom']

Please learn more about list comprehension here, it will save you a good deal of time.

answered Jul 11, 2013 at 14:47

Pawel Miech

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3 Comments

Tadeck Over a year ago

First ;) "75 % of Python question on StackOverflow can be answered with the words: "list comprehension";)" - do you have source for that?

Pawel Miech Over a year ago

Well ok I don't have a source :) but really there is so many questions that can be solved with list comprehension, this tool is really so powerful, and so many people are unaware of it.

Tadeck Over a year ago

Well, in fact, list comprehension is just a shortcut.

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