A way to insert a value in an empty List in a specific index

Question

Is there a way to insert a specific value into a List into a specific index. List should be completely empty:

L = []
L.insert(2,177)
print(L)

L should give out the values of L [ , ,117].

Answer 1

That is not possible. Lists cannot have "holes"; every slot in the list must contain a value.

You have two options:

1. Fill the list with dummy values:

   L = [None] * 3
   L[2] = 177
   # L: [None, None, 177]
   

2. Use a dict rather than a list:

   L = {}
   L[2] = 177
   # L: {2: 177}
   

   A dict is a mapping between arbitrary values, so it can handle "holes" with no problem.