🐍 Python Data Types: Complete Guide with Examples

So, What Exactly Are Data Types?

In programming, a data type is a classification that specifies what kind of value a variable can hold and what operations can be performed on it. Think of it like a container — some containers hold numbers, others hold text, and some hold complex structures.

Python is a dynamically typed language, which means you don't need to declare the data type of a variable. Python automatically determines the type based on the value you assign.

# Python automatically detects data types
a = 25          # Python knows this is an integer
b = 3.14        # Python knows this is a float
c = "Python"    # Python knows this is a string

print(type(a))  # <class 'int'>
print(type(b))  # <class 'float'>
print(type(c))  # <class 'str'>

Python's built-in data types can be grouped into several categories:

1. Numeric Data Types

Numeric data types store numbers. Python has three numeric types:

a. Integer (int)

Integers are whole numbers — positive, negative, or zero — without any decimal point. Python integers have unlimited precision, meaning they can be as large as your memory allows.

a = 6
b = 456577
c = 6700000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

print(type(a))  # <class 'int'>

b. Float (float)

Floats are numbers with a decimal point. They can represent real numbers and are written with a decimal point or using scientific notation.

g = 9.8
pi = 3.14159
temperature = -1.55

print(type(g))  # <class 'float'>

c. Complex (complex)

Complex numbers have a real part and an imaginary part. In Python, the imaginary part is denoted by j.

c = 1 + 2j  # complex number
print(type(c))  # <class 'complex'>

# Numeric Data Type Examples
a = 6       # int
print(a)
print(type(a))

g = 9.8     # float
print(g)
print(type(g))

c = 1 + 2j  # complex
print(c)
print(type(c))

Output:
6
<class 'int'>
9.8
<class 'float'>
(1+2j)
<class 'complex'>

2. Sequence Data Types

Sequence data types store collections of items in an ordered manner. Python has three sequence types:

a. String (str)

Strings are sequences of characters. They can be defined using single quotes, double quotes, or triple quotes.

s = "Welcome to Python"
print(s)        # Welcome to Python
print(type(s))  # <class 'str'>

b. List (list)

Lists are ordered, mutable collections that can hold items of different data types. They are defined using square brackets [].

my_list = [1, "two", 3.5]
print(my_list)      # [1, 'two', 3.5]
print(type(my_list)) # <class 'list'>

c. Tuple (tuple)

Tuples are ordered, immutable collections. Once created, they cannot be modified. They are defined using parentheses ().

my_tuple = (1, 2, "three")
print(my_tuple)      # (1, 2, 'three')
print(type(my_tuple)) # <class 'tuple'>

3. Dictionary

Dictionaries are unordered collections of key-value pairs. Each key is unique and is used to access its corresponding value.

my_dict = {"name": "Python", "age": 40}
print(my_dict)      # {'name': 'Python', 'age': 40}
print(type(my_dict)) # <class 'dict'>

4. Boolean

The Boolean data type represents one of two values: True or False. It's used in conditional statements and comparisons.

is_python_fun = True
print(is_python_fun)    # True
print(type(is_python_fun)) # <class 'bool'>

5. Set

Sets are unordered collections of unique elements. They are mutable and are defined using curly braces {}.

my_set = {"Python", "C", "CPP"}
print(my_set)       # {'Python', 'C', 'CPP'}
print(type(my_set))  # <class 'set'>

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📚 Where to Go From Here

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