Python’s data types
A recipe uses ingredients that fall into distinct groups (fruit, vegetables, nuts, cheeses, spices, etc.). A computer program uses data that falls into groups called types. Some of the main data types used by Python are as follows:
- Integer: This uses whole numbers, such as 0, 1, 2, and so on. Integers also include negative numbers -1, -2, -3, and so on. Positive integers are also known as natural numbers.
- Float: These are numbers with a decimal point (e.g., 23.5 and -0.87). These are also called real numbers. Surprisingly, we will not be using real numbers in this text.
- Character: A character is one of the keys on a computer keyboard – for example, Q, Z, a, $, and @. Computer languages often indicate a character by putting it in inverted commas – for example, 'R'. In practice, Python does not have an explicit character type.
- String: A string is a sequence of characters – for example,
'This'or...