PYTHON BASICSChapter 1 · Python Basics

String methods

Strings come with methods: small built-in tools you call with a dot. .upper() and .lower() change case, .strip() trims spaces from both ends, .replace(a, b) swaps text, .split() breaks a string into a list of words, and in checks whether one piece of text is inside another. Methods return a new string. The original never changes.

Worked example

How it reads

.strip() removes the spaces at both ends
.split() with no argument splits on spaces and returns a list
Strings never change in place, so save or print the result

Common mistakes

Calling name.upper() without saving or printing the result. Strings never change in place.
Writing name.upper without parentheses gives you the method itself, not the result.

Cloud tip: Chain methods left to right: raw.strip().lower() trims first, then lowercases.