Types are classifications that let the computer know how a programmer intends to use a piece of data. You can just think of them as, well, types of data.
We've already seen one type in the last section: the integer. In this section, we'll learn four more: the floating point number, the string, the boolean, and the list.
Enter these lines as you see them below:
>>> type(1)
<class 'int'>
>>> type(1.0)
<class 'float'>
>>> type("Hello there!")
<class 'str'>
>>> type(True)
<class 'bool'>
>>> type([1, 2, 3])
<class 'list'>
Each of these represents a different type:
Float: 1.0
Floats are numbers with decimals, and are treated a little differently than integers.
String: "Hello there!"
Strings are arbitrary sets of characters, such as letters and numbers. You can think of them as a way to store text.
Boolean: True and False
Boolean is a fancy term for values representing "true" and "false," or "truthiness" and "falsiness."
List: [1, 2, 3]
A list is an ordered collection of values. You can put any type in a list: ["rose", "daisy", "buttercup"] is also a valid list.
Don't worry about trying to actively remember these types. We'll be working with each in turn in the following sections.
type() is a function. You can think of functions in Python in a couple of different ways:
-
A way of doing something in Python. A way of taking an input, transforming that input, and returning an output. The input goes in the parentheses
(). -
A way of saving some code for reuse. After creating a function, you can make it run whenever you need it.
These are valid ways of thinking about functions. We'll be learning more about functions in later sections.