Python Built-in Functions

Python provides a rich set of built-in functions that are always available for use without needing to import any additional modules. These functions cover a wide range of functionalities and are essential for everyday programming tasks. Below is a list of some built-in functions in Python:

List of Python Built-in Functions

Function Description Example
abs() Returns the absolute value of a number. abs(-5) → 5
all() Returns True if all elements of an iterable are true. all([True, True, False]) → False
any() Returns True if any element of an iterable is true. any([False, False, True]) → True
ascii() Returns a string containing a printable representation of an object, with non-ASCII characters escaped. ascii('ΓΌ') → '\u00fc'
bin() Converts an integer to a binary string. bin(10) → '0b1010'
bool() Converts a value to a Boolean (True or False). bool(1) → True
bytearray() Returns a new array of bytes. bytearray([65, 66, 67]) → bytearray(b'ABC')
bytes() Returns a new bytes object. bytes('hello', 'utf-8') → b'hello'
callable() Checks if the object appears callable (i.e., if it can be called as a function). callable(len) → True
chr() Returns a string representing a character whose Unicode code point is the integer i. chr(65) → 'A'
classmethod() Returns a class method for the given function. @classmethod in class definition
compile() Compiles a source into a code or AST object. compile('print("Hello, World!")', '<string>', 'exec')
complex() Creates a complex number. complex(1, 2) → (1+2j)
delattr() Deletes an attribute from an object. delattr(obj, 'attr')
dict() Creates a dictionary. dict(a=1, b=2) → {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
divmod() Returns a tuple containing the quotient and remainder when dividing two numbers. divmod(9, 4) → (2, 1)
enumerate() Adds a counter to an iterable and returns it in the form of an enumerate object. list(enumerate(['a', 'b'])) → [(0, 'a'), (1, 'b')]
eval() Evaluates a Python expression and returns the result. eval('3 + 4') → 7
exec() Executes a dynamically created Python code. exec('x = 5') and then print(x) → 5
filter() Constructs an iterator from elements of an iterable for which a function returns true. list(filter(lambda x: x % 2 == 0, [1, 2, 3])) → [2]
float() Converts a number or string to a floating-point number. float('3.14') → 3.14
format() Formats a specified value. "{:.2f}".format(3.14159) → 3.14
frozenset() Creates an immutable set. frozenset([1, 2, 3]) → frozenset({1, 2, 3})
getattr() Returns the value of a named attribute of an object. getattr(obj, 'attr')
globals() Returns a dictionary representing the current global symbol table. globals()
hasattr() Checks if an object has a specified attribute. hasattr(obj, 'attr')
id() Returns the identity of an object. id([])
input() Reads a line of input from the user. input("Enter your name: ")
int() Converts a number or string to an integer. int('10') → 10
isinstance() Checks if an object is an instance of a class or a subclass. isinstance(5, int) → True
issubclass() Checks if a class is a subclass of another class. issubclass(bool, int) → True
iter() Returns an iterator object. iter([1, 2, 3])
len() Returns the length of an object. len('hello') → 5
list() Creates a list. list('abc') → ['a', 'b', 'c']
locals() Returns a dictionary representing the current local symbol table. locals()
map() Applies a function to all items in an iterable and returns an iterator. list(map(lambda x: x ** 2, [1, 2, 3])) → [1, 4, 9]
memoryview() Returns a memory view object of a given object. memoryview(bytes('hello', 'utf-8'))
object() Returns a new featureless object. object()
open() Opens a file and returns a file object. open('file.txt', 'r')
ord() Returns the Unicode code point for a given character. ord('A') → 65
pow() Returns the value of a number raised to a power. pow(2, 3) → 8
print() Prints values to the standard output. print('Hello, World!')
reversed() Returns a reverse iterator. list(reversed([1, 2, 3])) → [3, 2, 1]
range() Returns an immutable sequence of numbers. list(range(5)) → [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
round() Rounds a floating-point number to a specified number of decimal places. round(3.14159, 2) → 3.14
str() Converts a value to a string. str(123) → '123'
tuple() Creates a tuple. tuple([1, 2, 3]) → (1, 2, 3)
type() Returns the type of an object. type('hello') → <class 'str'>
vars() Returns the __dict__ attribute of an object. vars(obj)
zip() Aggregates elements from two or more iterables (lists, tuples, etc.). list(zip([1, 2, 3], ['a', 'b', 'c'])) → [(1, 'a'), (2, 'b'), (3, 'c')]

Here are some more commonly used Python built-in functions that are useful for daily programming tasks:

1. range()

Generates a sequence of numbers.

print(list(range(5))) # Output: [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
print(list(range(2, 10, 2))) # Output: [2, 4, 6, 8]

2. reversed()

Returns a reversed iterator of a sequence.

print(list(reversed([1, 2, 3]))) # Output: [3, 2, 1]

3. round()

Rounds a floating-point number to a specified number of decimal places.

print(round(3.14159, 2)) # Output: 3.14
print(round(3.5)) # Output: 4

4. set()

Creates a set from an iterable.

print(set([1, 2, 2, 3])) # Output: {1, 2, 3}

5. slice()

Returns a slice object that can be used to slice sequences.

s = 'Python'
print(s[slice(1, 4)]) # Output: 'ytho'

6. sorted()

Returns a new sorted list from the elements of any iterable.

print(sorted([3, 1, 2])) # Output: [1, 2, 3]
print(sorted('python')) # Output: ['h', 'n', 'o', 'p', 't', 'y']

7. str()

Converts an object to a string.

print(str(123)) # Output: '123'
print(str([1, 2, 3])) # Output: '[1, 2, 3]'

8. sum()

Returns the sum of all items in an iterable.

print(sum([1, 2, 3, 4])) # Output: 10

9. tuple()

Creates a tuple from an iterable.

print(tuple([1, 2, 3])) # Output: (1, 2, 3)

10. zip()

Aggregates elements from two or more iterables (lists, tuples, etc.) into tuples.

print(list(zip([1, 2, 3], ['a', 'b', 'c']))) # Output: [(1, 'a'), (2, 'b'), (3, 'c')]