Still feeling nervous for your exam? Check out the Python Cram Kit for practice questions that emulate the difficulty that you'll face on your exam. Each question includes a thorough step-by-step explanation where I walk you through the entire problem solving process!
There are 4 main types of data that we'll be utilizing in Python: strings, integers, floats, and booleans. Let's dive into each of them!
Strings
Strings are any characters enclosed in quotation marks.
So, this is a string:
"Hello"
But this is not a string...
Hello
...since it's not enclosed in quotation marks.
str() function
To convert anything into a string, surround it with the str() function.
For example, if I had the following variable assigned to a number...
x = 123
...and surrounded it with the str() function...
x = 123
str(x)
...it would then take on a value of "123" instead of 123.
The str() function is very useful when concatenating integers/floats with strings, since you can't combine them in the same print function!
To visualize this, you cannot do the following:
print("My favorite number is " + 4)
You must surround the integer like so:
print("My favorite number is " + str(4))
Integers
What's an integer?
An integer is any number without a decimal place.
So, this is an integer:
172
But this is not an integer...
172.0
...since it has a decimal place.
int() function
To convert a user inputted value into an integer, utilize the int() function!
An example of this is if I were to ask you for your age:
age = input("What's your age?")
Technically, this isn't good practice since all inputs return strings. So if you said that you were 18 years old, your age would be saved as "18" (a string) instead of 18 (an integer). Your age is not a string, it's an integer.
Therefore, to fix this you should surround your input() function with the int() function like so:
age = int(input("What's your age?"))
This makes it so your age is 18, like it should be!
Floats
A float is a number with decimal places.
So, this is a float:
12.572
But this is not a float...
12
...since it doesn't have any decimal places.
float() function
To convert a user inputted value into a float, utilize the float() function!
An example of this is if you were to input the price of a good:
price = input("What's the price of the product?")
Let's say you enter 12.99. Since inputs return as strings, this would save the price of the good as "12.99" (a string) when it should be 12.99 (a float). A price should not be a string, it should be a float.
To correct this, you should surround your input() function with the float() function like this:
price = float(input("What's the price of the product?"))
This causes the price to be saved as 12.99, as it should!
Booleans
A boolean is true or false.
Yup, it's that simple.
So, this variable is a boolean...
lives_in_california = True
...but this variable is not a boolean...
age = 18
...since it's not true or false.
Python Follow-along Guide
It's no secret you retain info better when you write it down. That's why I created the Python Follow-along Guide for you!
As you come upon key concepts highlighted in yellow, like this sentence here, you can fill-in-the-blanks on your Python Follow-along Guide so that you remember all the important stuff for later!
You can obtain your Python Follow-along Guide for FREE by entering your email below!
Now that we've got a grasp of the different types of data we'll be working with in Python, let's move onto understanding how nested conditionals work. Click below to continue!
Concepts
Each exam concept broken down with relatable situations to your life!
 | Tools | Python Follow-along Guide (FREE) |
 | Lesson | Print function |
| Lesson | Input function |
| Lesson | Concatenation |
| Lesson | Conditionals (if, elif, else) |
| Lesson | While loops |
| Lesson | For loops |
| Lesson | Data Types |
| Lesson | Nested Conditionals |
| Lesson | Flag Variables |
Practice Problems
Include step-by-step explanations through each part of the problem!
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Jack Whelan
March 8, 2021
I’m a Miami University (OH) 2021 alumni who majored in Information Systems. At Miami, I tutored students in Python, SQL, JavaScript, and HTML for 2+ years. I’m a huge fantasy football fan, Marvel nerd, and love hanging out with my friends here in Chicago where I currently reside.