Listappendelement

Listappendelement is a function in a generic programming API used to append a single element to the end of a list data structure. It takes two arguments: a list and the element to append. The function returns a list that consists of the original elements followed by the new element. Depending on the language, the operation may be an in-place mutation of the input list or the creation of a new list with the added element.

Parameters are typically the list and the element to append. Input validation usually includes ensuring the first argument is a list or list-like structure and the second is a value compatible with the list’s element type; otherwise an error is raised.

The return value is a list that includes the appended element. In languages that support in-place mutation, the original list object may be modified; in immutable or functional contexts, a new list is returned and the original remains unchanged.

Performance characteristics depend on the underlying data structure. For array-backed lists, appending is usually an amortized constant-time operation, while for linked lists it can be constant time but may involve different memory considerations. Some implementations may incur reallocation or copying costs when extending a fixed-capacity structure.

Example usage is straightforward: listappendelement([1,2,3], 4) yields [1,2,3,4]. In an imperative language with in-place mutation, the original list becomes [1,2,3,4] after the call; in a functional language the call returns a new list and the original stays unchanged.

Variants and related functions may include listinsertElement to insert at a specific position or listprependElement to add an element at the front. Naming and semantics vary by language and library. See also append, push, and extend in relevant runtimes.