Python Basics

Comments
You can write text that the program will ignore by beginning the line with a #, this helps with reminding you what certain code does or for explaining purposes.


py

# This is a comment


Data types
Variables can store data of different types, and different types can do different things.

Python has the following data types built-in by default, in these categories:


Text Type: str

Numeric Types: int, float, complex

Sequence Types: list, tuple, range

Mapping Type: dict

Set Types: set, frozenset

Boolean Type: bool

Binary Types: bytes, bytearray, memoryview


We will go more in-depth on some of these types in the next few paragraphs.

You can print the data type of a variable with the type() function:

py

x = 5

print(type(x))


Strings
Strings are surrounded by either single quotation marks, or double quotation marks.


py

x = "hello"

y = 'hello'


# single quotations and double quotation marks are the same


x == y # returns True


You can assign a multiline string to a variable by using three quotes:


py

x = """The FitnessGram Pacer test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter Pacer test will begin in 30 seconds."""


You can check the length of a string using the len() function:


py

x = "hello"

print(len(text)) # returns 5


Numbers
There are 2 primary, int and float


py

x = 2 # int

y = 2.8 # float


To verify the type of an object in Python, use the type() function:


py

print(type(x))

print(type(y))


Int, or integers, are whole numbers, positive or negative, without decimals.

Float is a number, positive or negative, containing one or more decimals.


Both strings and numbers are built-in data types