Can't set value of a split list in Python

Question

I'm having trouble setting a list at a certain index to a specified value. For example:

healths[index].split(",")[anotherIndex] = 0

This code runs but doesn't change the value. The reason I'm not just moving this to a list and going through these hoops with indexing a split list is because the first list, "healths" is also a split list. This means the amount of lists within is not a set value, so I could have 1 string in healths or I could have 4 strings in healths. If anyone can help with this it would be much appreciated. Here is another example highlighting what I'm trying to do:

strHealth = "1,8,4,3,/11,12,/"
healths = strHealth.split("/")
ct = int(input("Enter the creature type you're targeting: ")) - 1
cn = int(input("Enter the number of the creature you're targeting: ")) - 1
damage = int(input("Enter the amount of damage dealt: "))
healths[ct].split(",")[cn] = str(int(healths[ct].split(",")[cn]) - damage)

I tried setting the initial healths[ct].split(",")[cn] to an integer but that gave me a "cannot assign to function call here" error. I also double checked on how to change values in a list in python. This has me a bit stumped at the moment.

split() returns a new list. Your last line of code creates this list but does not assign it to a variable. The list will disappear as soon as the line of code is complete. So when you modify an element of that list, Python will change the modified index ([cn]), but there is no way to see that because the whole list immediately disappears. — Paul Cornelius
– Paul Cornelius, Commented Mar 22 at 2:24
Why are you storing everything a strings? Surely it would be much easier to use a list of lists of ints? — ekhumoro
– ekhumoro, Commented Mar 22 at 13:51

dirtydan · Accepted Answer · 2025-03-22 02:43:05Z

0

Now that i know the split function creates a new list that can't be saved, I found a new way of changing the values.

health_list = healths[ct].split(",")
health_list[cn] = str(int(health_list[cn]) - damage)
healths[ct] = ",".join(health_list)

I need to just make a temporary list as a placeholder then join the list back together with the new value.

answered Mar 22 at 2:43

dirtydan

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Community Mar 22 at 5:17

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