python 3.5 TypeError: 'list' object is not callable

Question

listg = [1,2,3,4,4,5,2]


modeval = [0]
modetimes = [0]

for i in range(len(listg)):
    count = listg.count(listg(i))
    if count > modetimes[0]:
        modeval = [listg(i)]
        count = [modeval]

    elif count == modetimes[0]:
        if listg in modeval:
            modeval.remove[listg(i)]
    modeval.append[listg(i)]

mode = modeval

print (mode)

I'm trying to find the mode of the list without using lambdas or the mode function but whenever I use the round brackets in the

count = listg.count(listg(i))

and the

modeval = [list(i)]

I get the TypeError: 'list' object is not callable. I tried turning the square brackets around the i into round ones but when I do the number that prints is the last in the list.

Answer 1

You need to index with brackets: change listg(i) to listg[i]. Parentheses are for function/method calls as the traceback suggests.

Also, I am a bit confused about what you are trying to accomplish, but I think it is generally considered a Python anti-pattern to use for i in range(len(listg)): in cases like this. Instead of using indexes, you can create "beautiful, idiomatic Python" by looping through the values in the list directly:

for i in listg:
    count = listg.count(i)
    if count > modetimes[0]:
        modeval = [i]
        count = [modeval]

...

Here i will be an actual element from listg, instead of an index used to retrieve the element.

Also note that assigning to a single object in square brackets, e.g., modeval = [0], will give you a one-item list. If that is what you want then fine, but if that is not your intention, it may lead to confusing results.