Variables & Data Types

Just name it

A variable is a labelled box that holds a value so you can use it again later. In Python you create one simply by giving it a name, an = sign, and a value — no let or var needed.

name = "Asha"
age = 22
height = 5.4
is_student = True

print(name, "is", age, "years old")

Each line stores a value in a name: name holds the text "Asha", age holds the whole number 22, height holds the decimal 5.4, and is_student holds True (a yes/no value). The = means “put this value into this box.” The last line reads three of those boxes back out and prints them as one sentence — notice the words "is" and "years old" are in quotes (printed exactly) while name and age are not (their stored values are used).

The main types

Every value in Python has a type — what kind of thing it is. Knowing the type matters because it decides what you can do with a value (you can add numbers, but not subtract text). Here are the six you will meet most:

If you are ever unsure what kind of value you have, the built-in type() function will tell you. You pass it a value and it reports the type:

print(type("hi"))   # <class 'str'>
print(type(42))     # <class 'int'>

The first line asks the type of "hi" — because it is in quotes it is text, so Python answers str (string). The second asks the type of 42, a whole number, so Python answers int (integer). The <class '...'> wrapper is just Python’s way of naming a type.