A variable can store various types of data, called a data type. Lets introduce some of the basic types we’ll be looking at.
An integer is a whole number, and can be positive or negative. Integers can usually be of unlimited length.
score = 45
A floating point number, sometimes called a real number, is a number that has a decimal point.
temperature = 44.7
In Python code, a string must be enclosed in quotes “…” or ‘…’
name = “John Myers”
A set is an unordered collection of unique items enclosed in curly braces { }. Sets can contain different types.
You can create a set like this:
setName = {1, 6, 2, 9}
A tuple is similar to a list and is a sequence of items each identified by an index. As with lists, the index starts with 0 not 1.
In contrast to lists, items in a tuple can’t be changed once assigned and tuples can contain different types of data.
To create a tuple enclose the items inside parentheses ( ).
userDetails = (1, ‘John’, ‘123 May Road’)
A dictionary is an unordered collection of items, each identified by a key.
To create a dictionary, enclose the items inside braces { }. Identify each item with a key using a colon.
dictionary = { 1: ‘Dave’,
2: ‘Jo’
3: ‘Jane’
}
To read a value, put the key in square brackets.
print (dictionary[1])
Read page 28 – 34 of the textbook “Python for Beginners”.