logo
logo
Sign in

What is a Variable in Python?

avatar
shubham raj thakur

A variable in programming is a named storage location in a computer's memory that is used to hold data. It is essentially a symbolic name for a value or piece of information that can change during the execution of a program. Variables are fundamental to programming as they allow developers to store, access, and manipulate data, making it a core concept in various programming languages, including Python. Variables are used to store and manipulate data. 


In the context of storage, They serve as containers that can hold different types of information, such as numbers, text, or boolean values. With variables, You can perform arithmetic calculations, concatenate strings, compare values, and apply various algorithms using variables.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

# Creating a variable named 'message' and assigning it a string value

message = "Hello, Python!"


# Printing the value stored in the 'message' variable

print(message)

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->



You can easily access the data stored in variables to use it in different parts of their code. So that you can build complex applications by reusing and sharing data as necessary.


Variable Naming Rules and Conventions:

  • Variables must start with a letter (a-z, A-Z) or an underscore (_).
  • After the initial letter or underscore, variable names can contain letters, numbers, and additional underscores.
  • Variable names are case-sensitive, meaning "myVariable" and "myvariable" are treated as different variables.


Python follows a naming convention that encourages developers to use lowercase letters and underscores to name variables. This convention is commonly referred to as "snake_case." It makes variable names more readable and consistent.


Read More: #Online Python Training in Delhi

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Here are some examples to illustrate these rules and conventions:

# Valid variable names

my_variable = 42

user_name = "Alice"

_total_count = 10

MY_CONSTANT = 3.14

word_list_2 = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]


# Invalid variable names

2nd_variable = "Invalid" # Starts with a number (not allowed)

my-variable = 7.5    # Contains a hyphen (not allowed)

break = "ReservedWord" # Uses a reserved word (not allowed)


# Case-sensitive variables

myVariable = "CamelCase"

myvariable = "snake_case"


# Using lowercase with underscores (Python convention)

first_name = "John"

last_name = "Doe"

age = 30

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->


Variable Assignment:

Variable Assignment in Python involves the process of assigning a value to a variable using the assignment operator, which is denoted by the equal sign (=). This operation associates a variable name with a specific value, allowing you to store and manipulate data within your program. Here's a detailed explanation with examples:


Explanation:

In Python, you can create a variable by choosing a name (following naming rules and conventions) and assigning it a value using the '=' operator. The variable name becomes a reference to the value you've assigned. Variable assignment is crucial for working with data and performing operations in your code.


Example: 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

# Assigning an integer to a variable

age = 30


# Assigning a floating-point number to a variable

price = 19.99


# Assigning a string to a variable

name = "Alice"


# Assigning a boolean value to a variable

is_student = True


# Assigning a list to a variable

fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"]


# Assigning a dictionary to a variable

person = {"name": "Bob", "age": 25}


# Assigning None to a variable (represents the absence of a value)

middle_name = None

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->


Variable Initialization:

Variable Initialization is the process of giving a variable an initial value before it is used in your code. Initializing a variable is important because it ensures that the variable contains a valid value from the start, preventing unexpected errors or undefined behavior in your program.


In Python, when you declare a variable without assigning it an initial value, it automatically takes on the special value None. None is a built-in constant that represents the absence of a value or a null value. It's often used to signify that a variable has not been assigned a meaningful value yet.


Read More: #CHOOSING THE BEST PYTHON TRAINING IN DELHI NEW DELHI


Here's an example that illustrates the concept of variable initialization and the use of None:


# Declaring a variable without initializing it

uninitialized_variable = None

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

# Trying to use the uninitialized variable

if uninitialized_variable is None:

    print("The variable is uninitialized.")

else:

    print("The variable has a value:", uninitialized_variable)

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

In this example, we start by declaring a variable called uninitialized_variable without assigning it any value. It is automatically initialized with None. We then check if the variable is None using an if statement. If it is, we print a message indicating that the variable is uninitialized. Otherwise, if it had been assigned a value other than None, we would have printed that value.


Variable Scope

Variable scope refers to the context in which a variable is defined and can be accessed within a Python program. It determines the visibility and lifetime of a variable, meaning where in the code it can be used and how long it remains in memory. In Python, there are primarily two types of variable scope: local and global.


Local Scope:


Variables defined within a function have local scope. They are only accessible within that specific function.

Local variables are created when the function is called and destroyed when the function execution completes.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

def my_function():

    local_variable = 10 # local_variable is defined here

    print(local_variable) # It can be accessed and printed within the function.


my_function()

print(local_variable) # This will result in an error, as local_variable is not accessible outside the function.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Global Scope:


Variables defined outside of any function have global scope. They are accessible from any part of the program, including functions.

Global variables are created when the program starts and persist until the program terminates.

Example of global scope:

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

global_variable = 20 # global_variable is defined outside any function


def another_function():

    print(global_variable) # It can be accessed within the function because it has global scope.


another_function()

print(global_variable) # It can also be accessed outside the function.


Connect with Us:

Sithub

Email: [email protected] 

Website: www.sithub.in

Phone Number: +91-7210018919

Location: 32, Gram Sabha, Sewak Park, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi 110059. Nearby Dwarka Mod Metro Station, Pillar No 774

Establishment Year: 2015



—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->


Read More: Which Career Opportunities Open After Completing Python Training in Delhi?


In the provided examples, local_variable is defined within the my_function() and is only accessible within the scope of this function. Attempting to access it outside the function will result in an error.


On the other hand, global_variable is defined outside of any function, so it has global scope. This means it can be accessed both within the another_function() and outside of any function in the program.


collect
0
avatar
shubham raj thakur
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more