Basic Python String Operations

Author: Newtum

This guide provides an overview of fundamental string operations in Python, including creating strings, accessing characters, and using common string methods.

Creating Strings

Strings in Python can be created using single quotes, double quotes, or triple quotes (for multi-line strings).

s1 = 'Hello, World!'
s2 = "This is a string."
s3 = """This is a
multi-line string."""

print(s1)
print(s2)
print(s3)

Accessing Characters

You can access individual characters in a string using indexing (starting from 0) and slicing.

my_string = "Python"

# Get the first character
first_char = my_string[0]
print(f"First character: {first_char}")

# Get the last character
last_char = my_string[-1]
print(f"Last character: {last_char}")

# Get a slice (substring)
slice_of_string = my_string[1:4] # from index 1 to 3
print(f"Slice [1:4]: {slice_of_string}")

Common String Methods

Strings are immutable, meaning their methods return new strings rather than modifying the original.

my_string = "  Hello, Python!  "

# Get the length
print(f"Length: {len(my_string)}")

# Convert to uppercase
print(f"Uppercase: {my_string.upper()}")

# Convert to lowercase
print(f"Lowercase: {my_string.lower()}")

# Remove leading/trailing whitespace
print(f"Stripped: '{my_string.strip()}'")

# Replace a substring
print(f"Replaced: {my_string.replace('Hello', 'Hi')}")