variables in python

Understanding Variables in Python

Variables in Python play a crucial role in storing and managing data throughout the program’s lifecycle. Their primary function is to reserve memory space to store values. This means when you create a variable, you reserve some space in memory. Let’s delve deeper into understanding the types and uses of variables in Python.

At their core, variables can be seen as containers that hold values. One of their main uses is to store numbers, which you can utilize multiple times in your program. There are different datatypes to represent numbers in Python:

• integer: These represent whole numbers, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4.
• float: These represent real numbers with decimal points, e.g., 1.23, 3.14.
• boolean: These represent the truth values, either True or False.

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Numeric Variables in Python

Here’s an example demonstrating how to assign values to numeric variables:

x = 1
y = 1.234
z = True

Once assigned, you can display these variables’ values using the print() function, which outputs data to the console:

x = 1
y = 1.234
z = True

print(x)
print(y)
print(z)

Python is rich in supporting various arithmetic operations. Basic ones include addition (+), multiplication (*), division (/), and subtraction (-):

x = 3
y = 8

result = x + y

print(result)

For those interested in further mathematical operations in Python, here’s a guide on More mathematical operations.

Capturing User Input in Python

Python 3:

In Python 3, the input() function is used to capture textual input from users. If you wish to use the input as a number for arithmetic operations, you must convert it using either int() (for integers) or float() (for real numbers):

x = int(input("Enter x:"))
y = int(input("Enter y:"))

result = x + y
print(result)

Python 2 (Legacy Version):

In the older version of Python (Python 2), the raw_input function was used to capture user input. Just like in Python 3, to perform arithmetic, you need to convert the input into the appropriate numeric type:

x = int(raw_input("Enter x:"))
y = int(raw_input("Enter y:"))

result = x + y
print(result)

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