Various Ways to Output Values with the print Function

When programming, there are often times when you need to check the value of a variable or verify the result of the code execution.

One of the most frequently used functions to make sure a program is working as intended is print.

In this lesson, we will explore formatting methods to make the output of the print function more organized.

Formatting Using `%`

In Python, you can use the % operator to neatly insert variable values into a string when outputting.

Using the % Operator
# Output: Hello, Python
print("Hello, %s!" % "Python")

The code above uses %s format code inside the print function.

%s is used for strings, and the value after the % operator is substituted as a string.

To print integers, use %d.

Printing Integers
# Output: 3 apples
print("%d apples" % 3)

When formatting multiple values, use parentheses to list the variables separated by commas, like % (name, age).

Example of Formatting Multiple Values
name = "GeekHaus"
age = 30

# Output: Name: GeekHaus, Age: 30
print("Name: %s, Age: %d" % (name, age))

As mentioned earlier, %s represents a string, and %d stands for an integer.

In the example above, %s is substituted with the string "GeekHaus", and %d is replaced with the integer 30.

To format floating-point numbers, use %f.

Since Python 3.6, a new string formatting method called f-string has been introduced.

With f-strings, you can directly include variable names and expressions inside curly braces { } by prefixing the string with f.

String Formatting with f-strings
name = "GeekHaus"
age = 30

print(f"Name: {name}, Age: {age}")

The code above prints Name: GeekHaus, Age: 30.

f-strings are preferred by many Python developers because they enhance readability and make the code concise.

Additionally, with f-strings, you can call functions inside the curly braces, like f"{name.upper()}".

Note: The upper() function converts all letters in a string to uppercase.

By default, the print function adds a newline after output.

For example, the following code prints 1, 2, 3 on separate lines.

Default Newline
print(1)
print(2)
print(3)

If you want to print without a newline, you can use the end parameter.

Printing Without New Line
print(1, end=" ")
print(2, end=" ")
print(3)

Output

1 2 3

In the code above, end=" " sets a space (" ") instead of a newline after printing each value.

To print multiple values separated by a specific character, use the sep (Separator) parameter.

Setting Separators Between Variables
print("Python", "coding", "is fun", sep="-")

Output

Python-coding-is fun

In the code above, sep="-" sets - as the separator between the values to be printed.

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