Python - Convert a String Representation of a List into a List

Sometimes we may have a string that looks like a list but is just text. We might want to convert that string into a real list in Python. The easiest way to convert a string that looks like a list into a list is by using the json module. This function will evaluate the string written as JSON list as a Python list. If the string is in JSON format (which looks like a Python list), we can use json.loads().

['Geeks', 'for', 'Geeks']

Let's explore other methods that convert a string representation of List into List:

Using eval()

eval() is a built-in function that evaluates the data type from the string and changes the string to that data type.

['Geeks', 'for', 'Geeks']

Using map()

The map() function applies a given function to each item in an iterable. We can use map() to convert a string into a list, especially if we need to apply a transformation (e.g., stripping spaces or changing case).

['["Geeks"', '"for"', '"Geeks"]']

Manual Method (Looping through the String)

If we want full control over how the string is converted, we can manually loop through the string and build the list item by item.

['Geeks', 'for', 'Geeks']

Using ast.literal_eval()

For safety, ast.literal_eval() is a better option than eval() as it only allows Python literals like lists, strings, numbers, etc. This makes it safer to use with untrusted inputs.