Mastering Typecasting and User Input in Python: A Beginner's Guide

Typecasting in Python

Typecasting is converting one data type into another.

Types of Typecasting:

1. Implicit Typecasting:
   Python automatically converts one data type to another during operations.

    x = 5       # int
    y = 2.5     # float
    result = x + y  # Python converts x to float automatically
    print(result)   # Output: 7.5
   

2. Explicit Typecasting:
   You manually convert one type to another using type conversion functions like int(), float(), str(), etc.

    a = "10"         # string
    b = int(a)       # convert to int
    c = b + 5
    print(c)         # Output: 15
   

Common Functions for Typecasting:

• int(): Converts to integer.

• float(): Converts to float.

• str(): Converts to string.

• list(): Converts to list.

• tuple(): Converts to tuple.

• dict(): Converts to dictionary (from valid structures like a list of tuples).

Example Code:

# Explicit Typecasting Example
x = "100"       # string
y = int(x)      # convert to int
z = float(y)    # convert to float

print(y + 50)   # Output: 150
print(z + 0.5)  # Output: 100.5

Typecasting helps when working with mixed data types.

Taking User Input in Python

In Python, you can take input from the user using the input() function.

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Syntax:

variable = input("Your prompt message here: ")

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Key Points:

1. Returns as a String:
   The input() function always returns the input as a string.
   Example:

    name = input("Enter your name: ")
    print("Hello,", name)
   

   Output:

    Enter your name: Safia
    Hello, Safia
   

2. Converting Input (Typecasting):
   If you need the input as an integer or float, convert it using int() or float().
   Example:

    age = int(input("Enter your age: "))
    print("You are", age, "years old.")
   

3. Multiple Inputs:
   You can take multiple inputs in one line using split().
   Example:

    x, y = input("Enter two numbers separated by a space: ").split()
    print("First number:", x)
    print("Second number:", y)
   

4. Custom Separators:
   You can take inputs with a specific separator using split() and provide the separator.
   Example:

    x, y = input("Enter two numbers separated by a comma: ").split(',')
    print("First number:", x)
    print("Second number:", y)
   

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Examples:

Example 1: Basic Input

name = input("What is your name? ")
print("Welcome, " + name + "!")

Example 2: Taking Numbers as Input

num1 = int(input("Enter the first number: "))
num2 = int(input("Enter the second number: "))
print("Sum is:", num1 + num2)

Example 3: Taking Float Input

height = float(input("Enter your height in meters: "))
print("Your height is:", height)