What is the purpose of the list function in Python?

The list function in Python is used to convert an iterable object (such as a string, tuple, set, etc.) into a list. It allows for easy manipulation and processing of lists by converting other data types.

For example, the list function can be used to convert a string into a list of characters.

s = "Hello"
lst = list(s)
print(lst)  # 输出: ['H', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o']

Similarly, a tuple can be converted into a list.

t = (1, 2, 3, 4)
lst = list(t)
print(lst)  # 输出: [1, 2, 3, 4]

The list function can also be used to create an empty list:

empty_lst = list()
print(empty_lst)  # 输出: []

Besides using the list function, you can also create a list using square brackets [], and both methods will have the same effect.