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From: John Gordon <gordon@panix.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Subject: Re: What is the difference between list() and list?
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2015 21:49:20 +0000 (UTC)
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In <3ada3275-68c9-421c-aa19-53c312c42b1f@googlegroups.com> fl <rxjwg98@gmail.com> writes:

> I find the following results are interesting, but I don't know the difference
> between list() and list.

'list()' invokes the list class, which creates and returns a new list.
Since you haven't passed any arguments, the list is empty.

'list' refers to the list class itself.

Here is a more in-depth example, using functions instead of classes:

    def hello(name):
        return 'Hello'.

If you call this function, like so:

    greeting = hello()
    print greeting

You will get the output 'Hello'.

But, if you just REFER to the function, instead of actually CALLING it:

    greeting = hello
    print greeting

You will get this output:

    <function hello at 0xbb266bc4>

Because you omitted the double parentheses, you're getting the hello
function object itself, instead of the RESULT of that function.

-- 
John Gordon                   A is for Amy, who fell down the stairs
gordon@panix.com              B is for Basil, assaulted by bears
                                -- Edward Gorey, "The Gashlycrumb Tinies"