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Python Strings

Data Types Focus

Python Strings

Strings store Unicode text. Master literals, methods, slicing, formatting, and encoding.

Literals

single = 'hello'
double = "hello"
multiline = """This spans lines"""
raw = r"C:\path\file"

Common methods

String methods
MethodDescription
strip()Remove whitespace at both ends
lower() / upper()Change case
replace(old, new)Substitute text
split(delimiter)Split into list
join(iterable)Concatenate with delimiter
startswith()/endswith()Prefix/suffix check

Formatting

name = "Ada"
age = 32
f"{name} is {age}"
"{name} is {age}".format(name=name, age=age)

Prefer f-strings for readability and performance. Use format specifiers for numbers ({price:.2f}).

Encoding

  • Strings are Unicode; encode to bytes with .encode("utf-8").
  • Decode bytes back to strings with .decode("utf-8").
  • Handle encoding errors explicitly (errors="ignore" or "replace").

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