PYTHON BASICSChapter 1 · Python Basics

Converting types

Every value has a type: int, float, str or bool. Ask for it with type(value). Text that looks like a number is still text until you convert it with int() or float(), and str() turns anything into text. It matters because "2" + "3" is "23", not 5.

Worked example

How it reads

+ joins strings but adds numbers, so the type decides what happens
int("2") makes the number 2 from the text "2"
type(x) tells you what you are holding

Common mistakes

int("seven") raises ValueError. Only text made of digits converts.
bool("False") is True: any non-empty string counts as true.

Cloud tip: int("3.7") fails. When text might have a decimal point, convert to float first: int(float("3.7")) is 3.