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How to Implement Linear Search in Python

Submitted by razormist on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - 23:09.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to program “How to Implement Linear Search in Python.” The main objective is to understand how to implement linear search. This tutorial will guide you step by step through the process of implementing linear search. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a solid understanding of how linear search works in Python, helping you strengthen your problem-solving abilities and improve your overall coding skills in data structure implementation.

This topic is straightforward and easy to understand. By simply following the instructions provided, you will be able to complete it with ease. The program will guide you step by step through the process of implementing linear search. So, let’s dive into the coding process and start implementing the solution to gain a deeper understanding of search algorithms in Python.

Getting Started:

First you will have to download & install the Python IDLE's, here's the link for the Integrated Development And Learning Environment for Python https://www.python.org/downloads/.

Creating Main Function

This is the main function of the application. The following code will display a simple GUI in terminal console that will display program. To do this, simply copy and paste these blocks of code into the IDLE text editor.
  1. def linear_search(alist, key):
  2.     """Return index of key in alist. Return -1 if key not present."""
  3.     for i in range(len(alist)):
  4.         if alist[i] == key:
  5.             return i
  6.     return -1
  7.  
  8.  
  9. # MAIN PROGRAM
  10. while True:
  11.  
  12.     print("\n================= Implement Linear Search =================\n")
  13.  
  14.     alist = input('Enter the list of numbers: ')
  15.     alist = alist.split()
  16.     alist = [int(x) for x in alist]
  17.  
  18.     key = int(input('Enter the number to search for: '))
  19.  
  20.     index = linear_search(alist, key)
  21.  
  22.     if index < 0:
  23.         print('{} was not found.'.format(key))
  24.     else:
  25.         print('{} was found at index {}.'.format(key, index))
  26.  
  27.     # Try Again Option
  28.     opt = input("\nDo you want to try again? (yes/no): ").strip().lower()
  29.  
  30.     if opt == "no":
  31.         print("Exiting program...")
  32.         break
  33.     elif opt != "yes":
  34.         print("Invalid choice. Exiting program...")
  35.         break

This program demonstrates how to implement Linear Search in Python. Linear search is a straightforward algorithm that checks each element of a list one by one until it finds the target value or reaches the end of the list. The program defines a function `linear_search(alist, key)` that iterates through the list `alist`, compares each element with the target `key`, and returns the index of the first occurrence if found, or `-1` if the key is not present. In the main program, the user is prompted to enter a list of numbers separated by spaces and then the number they want to search for. The program calls the `linear_search` function to locate the number and displays its index if found or a message indicating it was not found. The program also allows the user to repeat the search multiple times until they choose to exit. Linear search works efficiently for small or unsorted datasets, has a time complexity of O(n), and requires no extra memory, making it simple and easy to understand.

Output:

There you have it we successfully created How to Implement Linear Search in Python. I hope that this simple tutorial help you to what you are looking for. For more updates and tutorials just kindly visit this site. Enjoy Coding!

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