Python programming

language

PART-II

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III. Literals:- Literals or constants are data items that are fixed values. Several kinds of literals are

1. String Literals:- A text enclosed in ′ ′ or ″ ″ form a string literal.

Eg: ′ a ′ , ″ a ″ , ′ xy ′ , ″ 123 ″

Python allows certain non graphic characters in string values. Non-graphic characters are those
characters that cannot be typed directly from the keyboard . They are known as escape sequence. These
characters are represented by a backslash(\) followed by one or more characters

Escape Sequence Explanation

\n New line character

\b Backspace

\t Horizontal tab

\v Vertical tab

\a Alert bell

There are two type of strings

❑ Single Line Strings

❑ Multiline Strings

• Single Line Strings:- The strings that are created by enclosing in single quotes or double quotes
(′ ′ or ″ ″ ) that are terminated in a single line are Single Line Strings. Python by default
creates single line strings. So if at the end of a string if there is no closing quotation for an open
quotation it reports an error.

Eg: ′ This is python Programming ′

″ this is my book ″

″ This is class xi ′ → Reports an error

′ python programming→ Error

• Multiline Strings:- The strings that are created by enclosing in single or double quotes
which can be in multiple lines are Multiline Strings. Multiline strings can be created in 2
ways
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 ❖ By adding a backslash at the end of normal single/double quote strings. (Add a backslash
before pressing the enter key).Do not intent when continuing in the next line after

pressing \.

Eg: Text= ″ Programming\

Language ″

Text= ″ Programming\

Language” reports an error as the text is indented after pressing the

enter key

❖ By typing the text in triple single or double quotation marks.

Eg:Text = ′ ′ ′ Welcome

to

python ′ ′ ′

OR

Text= ″ ″ ″ Welcome

to

Python

Programming ″ ″ ″

Size of Strings

The size of the string is determined as the count of the number of characters in the string.

1. ″ Hello ″-→ 5

2. ″ Python Programming ″ →18

3. ″ \ab → 2 (\a is considered as a single character.Escape sequence is considered as a single

character )

4. Seema\’s Pen- → 11

For Multiline Strings ,the EOL(End Of Line) character at the end of the line is counted.

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 1. Text= ″ Python

Programming ″→ 18

2. Text= ″ a

c″→5

For Multiline strings created with backslash , the backslash is not counted

Text= ″ Python\

Programming ″ → 17

Text= ″ a\

b\

c″→3

The size of the string can be determined using the len()

Text= ′ Welcome′

len(Text)

Output-7

A= ″ Computer Science with Python ″

len(A)

Output-28

2. Numeric Literal:- The numeric literal is classified into

a. Integer Literal

b. Floating point Literal

c. Complex Literal

a. Integer literal:- They are reffered as integers or int .They represent +ve or –ve

numbers without any decimal point. A number with no sign is considered as an +ve

number. No commas are allowed in between numbers ie 34,987 is not allowed .

Instead we can write as 34987.

i. Decimal Integer Literal:- An integer literal consisting of numbers 0 to 9 which does not

start with a 0 is considered as an decimal integer literal

Eg: 1234,789,304

ii. Octal Integer Literal:- It is an integer literal consisting of numbers 0 to 7 which starts with

0o (Digit 0 followed by alphabet o) Eg:0o156,0o709

iii. Hexadecimal Integer Literal: It is an integer literal consisting of numbers 0 to 15 where 0 to 9

are represented by 0 to 9 itself and 10 to 15 are presented by A to F. It is preceded with 0x or

0X

Eg: 0x179,0XAF3,0x79C

b. Floating point literal:- They are also called as real literal. They are numbers having a fractional part.

They can be written in 2 forms .

Fractional Form:- A real literal in fractional form consist of signed or unsigned digits including a

decimal point between the numbers . It should have at least one digit either before or after the

decimal point

Eg2.57, .7, 3. , -23.67,-0.006

Exponent Form:- A real literal in exponent form consist of 2 parts.

Mantissa part and Exponent part

Exponent Part

2.5 E 5

Mantissa Part

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The Mantissa part can be either a real or integer constant. It is followed by the letter E or e .

The exponent must be an integer.

Eg: 2.5 X 109 → 2.5 E 9

0.00625 X 10 -4 →0.00625 e -4

1.2567 → 125.67 e -2 or 0.0012567 e 3

45.67 → 4.567 E 1 or 456.7 E-1

c. Complex Literal :- They are numbers in the form of a + ib where a and b are floating point

values and i represents √-1 which is an imaginary number. a is the real part and b is the imaginary part

3. Boolean Literal:- A Boolean literal is used to represent one of the two values True or False.

4.Special Literal None:-The None literal is used to represent the absence of a value. The value None

means “There is Nothing”. It does not display anything when asked to display the value of a variable

containing None

Qn: Identify the type of literal

i. 23.789

ii. 23789

iii. True

iv. ‘True’

v. O124

vi. OxA4F6

vii. None

Qn: What will be the size of the following constant

i. ‘\a’

ii. “\a”

iii. “It’s”

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 iv. xy\

yz”

v. “ “ “ xy

yz” ” ”

Qn: Write the following in Exponent form

1. 23.56 X106

2. 0.00567

3. 12.678

4.1356

5. 1.67 X 10 7

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