In this lesson, you'll learn the basics of working with arrays in MicroPython. You'll create a simple list, retrieve elements from the list, change elements, add new elements, and remove elements from the list. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a solid understanding of how to work with arrays in MicroPython.

To get started, open the micro:bit Python editor at https://python.microbit.org and create a new project.

Python Microbit: How to create a new project

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To create a new Python project for a Microbit, open the website python.microbit.org.

This will open the code editor with a new project. It might have some example code already added such as:

# Imports go at the top
from microbit import *

# Code in a 'while True:' loop repeats forever
while True:
    display.show(Image.HEART)
    sleep(1000)
    display.scroll('Hello')

You should delete this code except for the import line that you will need. This imports the necessary libraries you will need to code a microbit.

# Imports go at the top
from microbit import *

An array is a collection of items, like numbers or strings, stored in a single variable. In MicroPython, arrays are often called lists. They are useful when you want to store and manipulate multiple values using a single variable.

In this lesson, we'll use the terms 'array' and 'list' interchangeably.

Lists can store different types of data, such as integers, strings, or even other lists. For example:

• Integer List: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• String List: ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
• Mixed List: [1, 'apple', 3.14]

Now, let's create a list called 'numbers' with five elements. The elements are the integers from 1 to 5. Add the following code to your editor:

from microbit import *

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

Now, let's retrieve elements from the list using their index. Add the following new code:

from microbit import *

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

first_number = numbers[0]
second_number = numbers[1]

display.show(first_number)
sleep(1000)
display.show(second_number)

This code retrieves the first and second elements of the list (at index 0 and 1) and displays their values.

In this step, we will learn how to change the value of an element in a list. We will update the value of the 3rd item in our list and display the updated value on the micro:bit screen.

Update your code to the following:

from microbit import *

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

# show the 3rd item
display.show(numbers[2])
sleep(1000)

# change the value of the 3rd item
numbers[2] = 9

# show it again with the updated value
display.show(numbers[2])