2.5. Python Data Types

Difination: Data types are the classification or categorization of data items. It represents the kind of value that tells what operations can be performed on a particular data.

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

1. Text Type: str

2. Numeric Types: int, float, complex

3. Sequence Types: list, tuple, range

4. Mapping Type: dict

5. Set Types: set, frozenset

6. Boolean Type: bool

7. Binary Types: bytes, bytearray, memoryview

2.5.1. Obtaining the Data Type

You can get the data type of any object by using the type() function:

# Example:
x = 5

print(type(x))

<class 'int'>

2.5.2. Data Type Setting

When you give a variable a value in Python, the data type is already determined:

x = "Hello World"	# str
print(type(x))

<class 'str'>

x = 20	# int
print(type(x))

<class 'int'>

x = 20.5	# float
print(type(x))

<class 'float'>

x = 1j	# complex
print(type(x))

<class 'complex'>

x = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]	# list
print(type(x))

<class 'list'>

x = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")	# tuple
print(type(x))

<class 'tuple'>

x = range(6)	# range
print(type(x))

<class 'range'>

x = {"name" : "John", "age" : 36}	# dict
print(type(x))

<class 'dict'>

x = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}	# set
print(type(x))

<class 'set'>

x = frozenset({"apple", "banana", "cherry"})	# frozenset
print(type(x))

<class 'frozenset'>

x = True	# bool
print(type(x))

<class 'bool'>

x = b"Hello"	# bytes
print(type(x))

<class 'bytes'>

x = bytearray(5)	# bytearray
print(type(x))

<class 'bytearray'>

x = memoryview(bytes(5))	# memoryview
print(type(x))

<class 'memoryview'>

2.5.3. Specifying a Particular Data Type

The following function Object() { [native code] } functions can be used to indicate the data type:

x = str("Hello World")	# str
print(type(x))

<class 'str'>

x = int(20)	# int
print(type(x))

<class 'int'>

x = float(20.5)	# float
print(type(x))

<class 'float'>

x = complex(1j)	# complex
print(type(x))

<class 'complex'>

x = list(("apple", "banana", "cherry"))	# list
print(type(x))

<class 'list'>

x = tuple(("apple", "banana", "cherry"))	# tuple
print(type(x))

<class 'tuple'>

x = range(6)	# range
print(type(x))

<class 'range'>

x = dict(name="John", age=36)	# dict
print(type(x))

<class 'dict'>

x = set(("apple", "banana", "cherry"))	# set
print(type(x))

<class 'set'>

x = frozenset(("apple", "banana", "cherry"))	# frozenset
print(type(x))

<class 'frozenset'>

x = bool(5)	# bool
print(type(x))

<class 'bool'>

x = bytes(5)	# bytes
print(type(x))

<class 'bytes'>

x = bytearray(5)	# bytearray
print(type(x))

<class 'bytearray'>

x = memoryview(bytes(5))	# memoryview
print(type(x))

<class 'memoryview'>