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True or False: you need to worry about aliasing with lists

User Trees
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Final answer:

True, you need to worry about aliasing with lists in programming, especially in languages like Python, because changes made to one variable can affect the original list that is being referenced by other variables.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question of whether you need to worry about aliasing with lists is better understood in the context of programming, specifically in languages like Python. The answer to this is True. Aliasing occurs when two or more variables refer to the same object in memory, which can lead to unintended side effects if one variable changes the object, as those changes will be seen through all aliases.

For example, if we have a list list_a = [1, 2, 3] and we create another list by assignment like list_b = list_a, both list_a and list_b refer to the same list in memory. So, if you modify list_b by appending a value, list_a will also show that new value since they are aliases of same list object. To avoid this issue, you can create a shallow copy list_b = list_a[:] or use the list() function or copy.copy() method for creating a copy that is a new list.

User Jonathan Camenisch
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