出于好奇，我对其中两个解决方案进行了计时。使用return语句提前结束for循环的解决方案在我的机器上使用Python 2.5.1的代价略高，我怀疑这与设置可迭代对象有关。

import random
import timeit

def index_first_item(some_list):
    if some_list:
        return some_list[0]


def return_first_item(some_list):
    for item in some_list:
        return item


empty_lists = []
for i in range(10000):
    empty_lists.append([])

assert empty_lists[0] is not empty_lists[1]

full_lists = []
for i in range(10000):
    full_lists.append(list([random.random() for i in range(10)]))

mixed_lists = empty_lists[:50000] + full_lists[:50000]
random.shuffle(mixed_lists)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    ENV = 'import firstitem'
    test_data = ('empty_lists', 'full_lists', 'mixed_lists')
    funcs = ('index_first_item', 'return_first_item')
    for data in test_data:
        print "%s:" % data
        for func in funcs:
            t = timeit.Timer('firstitem.%s(firstitem.%s)' % (
                func, data), ENV)
            times = t.repeat()
            avg_time = sum(times) / len(times)
            print "  %s:" % func
            for time in times:
                print "    %f seconds" % time
            print "    %f seconds avg." % avg_time

以下是我得到的时间:

empty_lists:
  index_first_item:
    0.748353 seconds
    0.741086 seconds
    0.741191 seconds
    0.743543 seconds avg.
  return_first_item:
    0.785511 seconds
    0.822178 seconds
    0.782846 seconds
    0.796845 seconds avg.
full_lists:
  index_first_item:
    0.762618 seconds
    0.788040 seconds
    0.786849 seconds
    0.779169 seconds avg.
  return_first_item:
    0.802735 seconds
    0.878706 seconds
    0.808781 seconds
    0.830074 seconds avg.
mixed_lists:
  index_first_item:
    0.791129 seconds
    0.743526 seconds
    0.744441 seconds
    0.759699 seconds avg.
  return_first_item:
    0.784801 seconds
    0.785146 seconds
    0.840193 seconds
    0.803380 seconds avg.

出于好奇，我对其中两个解决方案进行了计时。使用return语句提前结束for循环的解决方案在我的机器上使用Python 2.5.1的代价略高，我怀疑这与设置可迭代对象有关。

import random
import timeit

def index_first_item(some_list):
    if some_list:
        return some_list[0]


def return_first_item(some_list):
    for item in some_list:
        return item


empty_lists = []
for i in range(10000):
    empty_lists.append([])

assert empty_lists[0] is not empty_lists[1]

full_lists = []
for i in range(10000):
    full_lists.append(list([random.random() for i in range(10)]))

mixed_lists = empty_lists[:50000] + full_lists[:50000]
random.shuffle(mixed_lists)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    ENV = 'import firstitem'
    test_data = ('empty_lists', 'full_lists', 'mixed_lists')
    funcs = ('index_first_item', 'return_first_item')
    for data in test_data:
        print "%s:" % data
        for func in funcs:
            t = timeit.Timer('firstitem.%s(firstitem.%s)' % (
                func, data), ENV)
            times = t.repeat()
            avg_time = sum(times) / len(times)
            print "  %s:" % func
            for time in times:
                print "    %f seconds" % time
            print "    %f seconds avg." % avg_time

以下是我得到的时间:

empty_lists:
  index_first_item:
    0.748353 seconds
    0.741086 seconds
    0.741191 seconds
    0.743543 seconds avg.
  return_first_item:
    0.785511 seconds
    0.822178 seconds
    0.782846 seconds
    0.796845 seconds avg.
full_lists:
  index_first_item:
    0.762618 seconds
    0.788040 seconds
    0.786849 seconds
    0.779169 seconds avg.
  return_first_item:
    0.802735 seconds
    0.878706 seconds
    0.808781 seconds
    0.830074 seconds avg.
mixed_lists:
  index_first_item:
    0.791129 seconds
    0.743526 seconds
    0.744441 seconds
    0.759699 seconds avg.
  return_first_item:
    0.784801 seconds
    0.785146 seconds
    0.840193 seconds
    0.803380 seconds avg.

more_itertools借款。First_true代码产生一些可读的东西:

def first_true(iterable, default=None, pred=None):
    return next(filter(pred, iterable), default)

def get_first_non_default(items_list, default=None):
    return first_true(items_list, default, pred=lambda x: x!=default)

if mylist != []:

       print(mylist[0])

   else:

       print(None)

使用and-or技巧:

a = get_list()
return a and a[0] or None

(get_list() or [None])[0]

这应该有用。

顺便说一句，我没有使用变量列表，因为那会覆盖内置列表()函数。

编辑:我之前有一个稍微简单，但错误的版本。