How To Know Type Of Variable In Python

working with Pythonorking with Python, it’s often important to determine the type of variable you’re working with.
Python is a dynamically typed language, which means that the data type of a variable can change during the
execution of a program. Therefore, knowing the type of a variable can help you understand how the variable
is being used and avoid potential issues due to incorrect data types.

In this blog post, we’ll go over various methods to determine the type of a variable in Python.

Using the type() Function

The most straightforward way to know the type of a variable in Python is by using the built-in
type() function. The type() function takes a variable as input and
returns its data type as output.

Here’s a simple example:

x = 42
print(type(x))

The output of this code will be <class 'int'>, which tells us that the variable
x is of type int (integer).

Using the isinstance() Function

Another way to determine the type of a variable is by using the built-in isinstance()
function. This function takes two arguments: the variable you want to check and the data type you want
to compare it to. The function returns True if the variable is of the specified data
type, and False otherwise.

Here’s an example of how to use the isinstance() function:

x = 42
if isinstance(x, int):
    print("x is an integer")
else:
    print("x is not an integer")

In this example, the output will be x is an integer, because the variable x
is indeed of type int.

Comparing Types Directly

You can also compare the type of a variable directly to a specific data type using the
== operator in conjunction with the type() function. This method
is less recommended because it can lead to less readable code, but it is still an option.

Here’s an example of how to compare the variable type directly:

x = 42
if type(x) == int:
    print("x is an integer")
else:
    print("x is not an integer")

As before, the output of this code will be x is an integer, because the variable
x is of type int.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we went through several methods for determining the type of a variable in Python,
including the type() function, the isinstance() function, and
directly comparing types. Each of these methods has its merits, and the best one to use depends on
your specific use case and coding style.

By knowing how to determine the type of a variable in Python, you’ll be better equipped to write
clean, readable, and efficient code.