query on python list

[Tim Hochberg]

muttu2244 at yahoo.com wrote:
> hi all
> am searching for a key in a list, am using
> 
>   Found = 0
>   for item in list:
>          if not key == item:
>              Found = 0
>          elif key == item:
>              Found =1
> 
> Now based on the Found value i ll manipulate the list.
> but whenever the "key and item" doesnt match it makes "Found = 0", even
> though i have an item that matches the key, but it overwrites the Found
> variable to 0, in the next loop when "key ! = item", and hence all my
> calculations are going wrong,
> If i find a key in my list, some how the variable "Found " should be
> 1,till it comes out of the loop.
> 
> How can i do that.

Well, one way would be:

    Found = False
    for item in list:
       if key == item:
          Found = True
          break

or maybe:

    for item in list:
       if key == item:
          Found = True
          break
    else:
       Found = False

but a better way would be:

Found = (key in list)


-tim

> 
> thanks in advance
> yogi
>