Python is a high-level programming language that is versatile for everyone. However, one of the topics that programmers are always involved with is casting or similar type conversion. Let's take a look at how we can use casting in Python. Casting is used as a way to convert one data type into another. Typically, in situations where we need to have a specific type of data for processing, it becomes very important to cast it. As you can see, Python is a flexible language, meaning that it doesn’t require a specific type to define variables. However, in certain situations, we want to change data types, and that is where casting comes in. With simple examples, you can see how to use casting to change data into different types.
Let's assume that you have a value in the form of a string and you want to convert it into an integer so that mathematical operations can be performed on it. This is a situation where casting is applied. Standard methods for performing casting exist in Python, such as int(), float(), str(), and others that help in every situation.
But keep in mind that if casting is not performed correctly, it can lead to programming errors. So always make sure that you convert your data into the correct type. If your data cannot be converted, the program can throw an error and get stuck. Now let’s take a look at a sample code that shows how these castings can be performed.
# Convert a string to an integer
num_str = "123"
num_int = int(num_str)
# Convert an integer to a string
num = 456
num_str = str(num)
# Convert a float string to a float number
num_float = float("123.45")
# Convert a float number to an integer
float_val = 12.34
int_val = int(float_val)
Line one: # Convert a string to an integer
Here, we define that a string with a number will be converted to an integer.
Line two: num_str = "123"
Here, we have a variable that is in the form of a string.
Line three: num_int = int(num_str)
Here, by using the function int(), we convert that string into an integer.
Line five: # Convert a number to a string
If we want to convert an integer to a string, we use this method.
Line six: num = 456
An integer that we want to convert into a string is defined here.
Line seven: num_str = str(num)
By using the function str(), we convert this number into a string. This same process can also be done for float numbers as well.