Python literals are data items that have a fixed value. These values are represented directly in the code and are used to assign a value to variables or constants. Python supports several types of literals, which can be categorized into the following:
1. Numeric Literals
2. String Literals
3. Boolean Literals
4. Special Literals
5. Collection Literals
Numeric literals are used to represent numbers. They can be classified into three types:
• Integer literals: Whole numbers without a decimal point.
‣ Example: 100, -45, 0
• Float literals: Numbers with a decimal point.
‣ Example:3.14, -0.001, 1.0
• Complex literals: Numbers with a real and an imaginary part.
‣ Example: 2 + 3j, -5j
integer_literal = 100
float_literal = 3.14
complex_literal = 2 + 3j
print(integer_literal) # Output: 100
print(float_literal) # Output: 3.14
print(complex_literal) # Output: (2+3j)
String literals are sequences of characters enclosed within single (' '), double (" "), or triple quotes (''' ''' or """ """). They can represent a single character or a sequence of characters.
• Single-line strings: Enclosed in single or double quotes.
‣ Example: 'Hello', "World"
• Multi-line strings: Enclosed in triple quotes.
‣ Example: '''This is a multi-line string'''
single_line_string = "Hello, Python!"
multi_line_string = '''This is a
multi-line string.'''
print(single_line_string)
print(multi_line_string)
Hello, Python!
This is a
multi-line string.
Boolean literals represent one of two values: True or False. These are used in logical operations and conditional statements.
isActive = True
isDeleted = False
print(isActive) # Output: True
print(isDeleted) # Output: False
Python has one special literal, None. It represents the absence of a value or a null value. None is often used to signify that a variable has no value assigned to it.
result = None
print(result) # Output: None
Python provides literals for several built-in data types that can hold collections of values.
• List literals: Enclosed in square brackets [].
‣ Example: [1, 2, 3], ['apple', 'banana', 'cherry']
• Tuple literals: Enclosed in parentheses ().
‣ Example: (1, 2, 3), ('a', 'b', 'c')
• Dictionary literals: Enclosed in curly braces {} with key-value pairs.
‣ Example: {'name': 'Alice', 'age': 25}
• Set literals: Enclosed in curly braces {}, similar to dictionaries but without key-value pairs.
‣ Example: {1, 2, 3}, {'a', 'b', 'c'}
list_literal = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
tuple_literal = ('a', 'b', 'c')
dictionary_literal = {'name': 'Alice', 'age': 25}
set_literal = {1, 2, 3, 4}
print(list_literal) # Output: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print(tuple_literal) # Output: ('a', 'b', 'c')
print(dictionary_literal) # Output: {'name': 'Alice', 'age': 25}
print(set_literal) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 4}