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Understanding data types in Python.
A beginner's guide to exploring the basics of data types in Python.
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Variables in Python belong to a data type. A data type is a classification that shows which value a variable has. It ensures that correct operations are done to the variable without causing errors.
Data types in python fall into two categories: primitive and non-primitive types.
Primitive data types
Primitive data types contain simple values of data and are building blocks. They are:
Integer
Float
String
Boolean
Let’s look into each and their properties.
Integer
An integer is numerical data type that represents a whole number, both negative and positive.
num = 6
print(type(num))
<class 'int'>
We can do arithmetic operations to them.
x = -6
y = 5
print( "-6 + 5 is" , x + y )#addition
print( "-6 - 5 is" ,x - y )#subtraction
print( "-6 *5 is" ,x* y )#multiplication
print( "-6 / 5 is" ,x / y )#division
print( "-6 % 5 is" ,x % y )#modulus
-6 + 5 is -1
-6 - 5 is -11
-6 * 5 is -30
-6 / 5 is -1.2
-6 % 5 is 4
Float
A float is a numeric data type used to represent decimal numbers.
num = 6.0
print(type(num))
<class 'float'>
We can also do arithmetic operations, just like the integers.
x = -6.0
y = 5
print( "-6 + 5 is" , x + y )#addition
print( "-6 - 5 is" ,x - y )#subtraction
print( "-6 *5 is" ,x* y )#multiplication
print( "-6 / 5 is" ,x / y )#division
print( "-6 % 5 is" ,x % y )#modulus
-6 + 5 is -1.0
-6 - 5 is -11.0
-6 * 5 is -30.0
-6 / 5 is -1.2
-6 % 5 is 4.0
Strings
A string is a collection on characters. An example is a name - like Aron. Aron is made up of four characters, ‘a’,’r’, ‘o’, ‘n’. They are enclosed with either single quotes or double quotes.
name = 'Aron'
surname = "Koech"
print(type(name))
print(name)
print(type(surname))
print(surname)
<class 'str'>
Aron
<class 'str'>
Koech
We can concatenate the variables to be one word.
print(name +' '+ surname)
print(name , surname)
Aron Koech
Aron Koech
We have combined the name and surname using string concatenation in the first line, with a space in between.
The second line of code uses comma-separated values to give the same output.
Boolean
Boolean is a data type that represents a binary value, either True or False. It is commonly used to evaluate conditions in decision making processes.
x = -6
y = 5
print(x == y)
False
==(equality operator) is used to check if x and y variables are equal. If they are equal, it prints True, otherwise False.
Non-primitive data types
They are complex data types, that can store collection of values in different formats. They are:
Lists
Tuples
Sets
Dictionaries
Lists
Lists are data types that store a collection of values, such as integers and strings. They are stored inside [ ] brackets. Lists are ordered, meaning the order will not change. They are also mutable, meaning the elements can be modified after they have been created.
x = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] # creates a list of integers
colors = ['blue', 'pink', 'yellow', 'brown'] # creates a list of strings
list = [5, 10.4, 'Purple', False] # creates a list of mixed data types
print(x)
print(colors)
print(list)
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
['blue', 'pink', 'yellow', 'brown']
[5, 10.4, 'Purple', False]
To access an element in the list:
print(colors[2])
This prints the color element at index 2, which is yellow.
Lists can also be sliced.
print(colors[2:])
print(x[1:3])
print(list[:2])
['yellow', 'brown']
[2, 3]
[5, 10.4]
We can change an element in a list. Suppose we want to replace the second color to purple.
colors[1] = 'purple'
print(colors)
['blue', 'purple', 'yellow', 'brown']
Tuples
Tuples are data types that contain ordered, immutable elements. The elements are enclosed in
( ) brackets.
x = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
print(x)
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
We can access individual elements in a tuple by indexing, just like lists.
print(x[2])
This prints the element in index 2, which is 3.
We can also access the range of elements using slicing.
print(x[2:])
(3, 4, 5)
This prints the elements from index 2 to the last element.
Sets
Sets are collection of unique elements. They are unordered and mutable.
x = (1,2,1,3,2,3,2,4,4,5)
print(set(x))
{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
Only the unique elements are printed.
Dictionaries
Dictionaries are data types that are made up of key-value elements in pairs.
They are stored using curly {} brackets.
dict = {'Eliud':1, 'Peter':2, 'Andrew':3, 'Mike':4}
print(dict)
{'Eliud': 1, 'Peter': 2, 'Andrew': 3, 'Mike': 4}
You can access individual values by referring to their keys.
print(dict['Eliud'])
This will return 1, which is its key.
You can also change the value of the keys.
dict['Eliud']=10
print(dict)
{'Eliud': 10, 'Peter': 2, 'Andrew': 3, 'Mike': 4}
Conclusion
Data types are categorized into primitive and non-primitive. There is still more to cover on data types. Check out python data types to learn more.