[Python] Why Does Python's list.sort() Return None Instead of the Sorted List? [duplicate]

I'm facing an issue while trying to sort a list in Python. I expected to store the sorted result in a new variable, but ended up with None. Here's a sample of my code:

my_list = [3, 1, 2]
sorted_list = my_list.sort()
print(sorted_list)


When I run this code, the output is:

None


I originally assumed that sorted_list would contain [1, 2, 3]. After checking the documentation, I learned that list.sort() performs an in-place sort and returns None. This design avoids confusion between modifying the list in place versus creating a new sorted list. However, I now have a couple of questions:

Why did Python's designers choose for list.sort() to return None rather than the sorted list? In what scenarios should I use list.sort() compared to the built-in sorted() function? For example, what if I want to retain the original list and obtain a new sorted copy?

I've tested both approaches:

Approach 1: Using list.sort() which modifies the original list


my_list = [3, 1, 2]
my_list.sort()
print(my_list)

Approach 2: Using sorted() to get a new sorted list


my_list = [3, 1, 2]
sorted_list = sorted(my_list)
print(sorted_list)


I'm looking for insights on when to use each method as well as the rationale behind the design decision. Thanks in advance for your help!

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