type()

Returns the type of an object.

Returns
A type object, e.g. <class 'int'>.
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Example

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Python
print(type(42))
print(type("42"))
print(type([1, 2]))
print(type(3.5).__name__)
Resultsaved result, you can check it
<class 'int'>
<class 'str'>
<class 'list'>
float

Definition and usage

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The type() function, called with a single argument, returns the type of the given value, for example int, str, list, or the name of your own class. It's a handy tool for checking what you're dealing with, especially while learning and while hunting for bugs.

You can read the type name as a string through the __name__ attribute: type(x).__name__.

To check a type inside a condition, isinstance() is the better choice, because it accounts for inheritance. type(x) == int returns False for the value True, even though bool is a subtype of int.

Syntax

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Syntax
type(object)

Parameters

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  • object

    any value

    The value whose type you want to check.

Good practices

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  • In conditions, use isinstance(x, int) instead of type(x) == int.
  • When a function behaves "strangely", print the type() of its arguments. A number often turns out to be a string.

Related entries

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