How to Determine a Python Variable's Type

Python is a dynamically typed programming language, meaning that the data type of a variable can change at runtime.

It is important to know the data type of a variable in order to perform operations on it effectively.

In this tutorial, we’ll learn how to determine the type of a variable in Python.

Method 1: Using the type Function

The simplest way to determine the type of a variable in Python is by using the built-in type function.

The type function returns the data type of the input argument as a type object.

Example:

x = 10
print(type(x))  # Output: <class 'int'>

y = "Hello, World!"
print(type(y))  # Output: <class 'str'>

z = [1, 2, 3]
print(type(z))  # Output: <class 'list'>

Method 2: Using the isinstance Function

Another way to determine the type of a variable in Python is by using the built-in isinstance function.

The isinstance function takes two arguments: the variable and the data type to be checked.

It returns a boolean value indicating whether the variable is an instance of the specified data type.

Example:

x = 10
print(isinstance(x, int))  # Output: True
print(isinstance(x, str))  # Output: False

y = "Hello, World!"
print(isinstance(y, str))  # Output: True
print(isinstance(y, list))  # Output: False

z = [1, 2, 3]
print(isinstance(z, list))  # Output: True
print(isinstance(z, tuple))  # Output: False