Strings in Python
Quotes: Single, Double, and Triple
A string in Python can be enclosed in single ('), double ("), or triple quotes (''' or """). Triple quotes are typically used for multi-line strings.
Example:
x = '''first line
second line
third line'''
print(x)
Output:
first line
second line
third line
Length of Strings
Use the len() function to determine the length of a string.
Example:
x = 'good'
print(len(x)) # Output: 4
Operations on Strings
-
Concatenation: Using the
+operator.string1 = 'first' string2 = ',' string3 = 'second' result = string1 + string2 + string3 print(result) # Output: first,second -
Replication: Using the
*operator to repeat a string.s = 'good' print(s * 5) # Output: goodgoodgoodgoodgood -
Comparison: Using
==,>,<operators for lexicographic comparisons.print('good' > 'bad') # Output: True
Escape Characters
The backslash (\) is used to introduce special characters.
\nfor newline\tfor tab\'for escaping single quotes
Example:
print('This is the first line.\nThis is the second line.')
Output:
This is the first line.
This is the second line.
Substrings
The in keyword checks if a string is a substring of another.
Example:
a = 'good'
b = 'very good'
print(a in b) # Output: True
Indexing and Slicing
Strings support both positive and negative indexing. The first character has index 0, and the last has index -1.
Example:
word = 'world'
print(word[0]) # Output: w
print(word[-1]) # Output: d
Slicing: To extract a portion of a string.
email = 'CS_10_014@iitm.ac.in'
roll = email[6:9] # Output: 014
Immutability of Strings
Strings are immutable in Python, meaning their contents cannot be changed once created.
Example:
word = 'hello'
word[0] = 'H' # This will raise an error
String Methods
capitalize(): Capitalizes the first letter.isalpha(): Checks if all characters are alphabetic.
Example:
sentence = 'hello world'
print(sentence.capitalize()) # Output: Hello world
name = 'John'
print(name.isalpha()) # Output: True