Python 101: Is there a specific reason why lists have append() but not add() in Python

The distinction between the append() method for lists and the add() method for sets in Python can be attributed to the fundamental differences in the way lists and sets are structured and used.

Lists are ordered collections of items, meaning that the items in a list have a specific order, and each item can be accessed by its position or index within the list. The append() method is used to add an element to the end of a list, maintaining the order of the existing elements.

On the other hand, sets are unordered collections of unique elements. The add() method is used to add a single element to a set if it is not already present, and it does not affect the existing order of elements because sets do not have a defined order.

This distinction reflects the different behaviors and characteristics of lists and sets in Python. Lists are commonly used when the order of elements matters, and sets are used when uniqueness and membership testing are the primary concerns.