In Python programming, it is crucial to determine the type of a variable, as it defines the operations possible on it and the way the value is stored. This post offers a step-by-step guide on how to check the type in Python. This can assist you in identifying the data type of a variable or an operation’s output to resolve errors and improve code efficiency.
Step 1: Using the type() Function
The built-in Python function type() can be used to determine the type of a variable. This function returns the type of the passed variable.
Using the following blocks to format code:
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variable = 10 print(type(variable)) |
The output data will be:
<class 'int'>
Step 2: Checking the Type of a List
The type() function can also be used to determine if a variable is a list.
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variable = [1, 2, 3] print(type(variable)) |
The output data will be:
<class 'list'="">
Step 3: Using isinstance()
An alternative way to check the type in Python is by using the isinstance() function. This function returns a boolean telling whether the object is an instance of the class or a subclass thereof.
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variable = "Hello, World" print(isinstance(variable, str)) |
The output data will be:
True
The Complete Code:
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variable_a = 10 print(type(variable_a)) variable_b = [1, 2, 3] print(type(variable_b)) variable_c = "Hello, World" print(isinstance(variable_c, str)) |
Conclusion
Being able to check the type of a variable is a necessary skill in Python programming, and this blog post shows simple methods to do this using type() and isinstance() functions. Understanding the type of a variable is very useful when debugging, as it helps avoid potential programming errors related to type mismatches.