:: Ord a => [a] -> [a] -package:statistics -package:errors -is:exact -package:Cabal package:base

The sort function implements a stable sorting algorithm. It is a special case of sortBy, which allows the programmer to supply their own comparison function. Elements are arranged from lowest to highest, keeping duplicates in the order they appeared in the input.

>>> sort [1,6,4,3,2,5]
[1,2,3,4,5,6]

The argument must be finite.

Extract the elements after the head of a list, which must be non-empty.

>>> tail [1, 2, 3]
[2,3]

>>> tail [1]
[]

>>> tail []
*** Exception: Prelude.tail: empty list

WARNING: This function is partial. You can use case-matching or uncons instead.

Return all the elements of a list except the last one. The list must be non-empty.

>>> init [1, 2, 3]
[1,2]

>>> init [1]
[]

>>> init []
*** Exception: Prelude.init: empty list

WARNING: This function is partial. You can use reverse with case-matching or uncons instead.

reverse xs returns the elements of xs in reverse order. xs must be finite.

>>> reverse []
[]

>>> reverse [42]
[42]

>>> reverse [2,5,7]
[7,5,2]

>>> reverse [1..]
* Hangs forever *

cycle ties a finite list into a circular one, or equivalently, the infinite repetition of the original list. It is the identity on infinite lists.

>>> cycle []
*** Exception: Prelude.cycle: empty list

>>> cycle [42]
[42,42,42,42,42,42,42,42,42,42...

>>> cycle [2, 5, 7]
[2,5,7,2,5,7,2,5,7,2,5,7...

List of elements of a structure, from left to right. If the entire list is intended to be reduced via a fold, just fold the structure directly bypassing the list.

Examples

Basic usage:

>>> toList Nothing
[]

>>> toList (Just 42)
[42]

>>> toList (Left "foo")
[]

>>> toList (Node (Leaf 5) 17 (Node Empty 12 (Leaf 8)))
[5,17,12,8]

For lists, toList is the identity:

>>> toList [1, 2, 3]
[1,2,3]