bisect.bisect_left() vs bisect.bisect_right()
bisect.bisect_left() and bisect.bisect_right() are both Python Bisect Module APIs, and choosing between them is a common point of confusion. This page compares their syntax, parameters, return values, and typical use cases so you can pick the right one. bisect.bisect_left(): Returns the insertion point for x in sorted list a, keeping leftmost position on ties. Its syntax is bisect.bisect_left(a, x, lo=0, hi=len(a)), and it returns insertion index bisect.bisect_right(): Returns the insertion point for x, keeping rightmost position on ties. Its syntax is bisect.bisect_right(a, x, lo=0, hi=len(a)), and it returns insertion index Example of bisect.bisect_left(): import bisect
bisect.bisect_left([1, 3, 5, 7], 4) # 2 (insert between 3 and 5)
bisect.bisect_left([1, 3, 3, 5], 3) # 1 (leftmost). Example of bisect.bisect_right(): bisect.bisect_right([1, 3, 3, 5], 3) # 3 (rightmost). Read the full references for bisect.bisect_left() and bisect.bisect_right() to see parameters, edge cases, and example code side by side. Other Bisect Module APIs worth comparing: bisect.insort_left(), bisect.insort_right().