Python Data Types

Python data types are simple to understand and easy to use. They differ in some aspects from other programming languages. Because Python is an interpreted programming language and the Python interpreter can determine what type of data is being stored, there is no need to define the data type of memory location.

Data type plays a vital role in Python as it determines several aspects:

  1. Possible values: Each data type can hold a specific range of values. For example, integers represent whole numbers, while floats represent decimal numbers.
  2. Permissible operations: Different data types support specific operations. For example, numeric types support arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication, while string data types only support string concatenation.
  3. Meaning of data: Data types convey the meaning and purpose of the data. For instance, a string data type variable typically stores textual data, whereas a boolean variable only stores true or false values.
  4. Storage of values: How values are stored in memory differs for each data type. Integers, for instance, are typically stored as fixed-size binary representations, whereas strings are usually stored as character sequences.

Data Types available in Python

Everything in Python programming is an object, each with its unique identity (a type and a value). There are many native(built-in) data types available in Python. Some important are:

Numeric Types

Data Types Description Example
int Signed Integer x = 10
float Floating-Point Number y = 3.14
complex Complex Number z = 2 + 3j

Sequence Types

Data Types Description Example
str String name = "John"
bytes Bytes b = b"Hello"
list List numbers = [1, 2, 3]
tuple Tuple coordinates = (10, 20)
range Range r = range(5)

Mapping Type

Data Types Description Example
dict Dictionary person = {"name": "John", "age": 25}

Set Types

Data Types Description Example
set Set s = {1, 2, 3}
frozenset Frozen Set fs = frozenset([4, 5, 6])

Boolean Type

Data Types Description Example
bool Boolean is_true = True

Other Types

Because Python is a pure object-oriented programming language, other data types are also available.

Data Types Description Example
module Module import math
function Function def add(x, y): return x + y
class Class class Car:
method Method class Car: def accelerate(self, speed):
file File f = open("data.txt", "r")

The above table classifies the important built-in data types in Python based on their functionality and purpose, making it easier to understand their respective categories.

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