Every value in Python has a type, which tells Python (and you) what kind of data it is and what you can do with it. Module 1 mostly deals with four fundamental types.

int — whole numbers

age = 25
year = 2026
print(age, year)

float — decimal numbers

price = 9.99
pi = 3.14159
print(price, pi)

str — text ("string")

Strings are sequences of characters, wrapped in either single '...' or double "..." quotes — both work the same in Python, just be consistent.

greeting = "Hello"
name = 'Ada'
print(greeting, name)

bool — True or False

Booleans represent one of exactly two values: True or False (capitalized, no quotes — they're not strings). They're the backbone of decision-making in code, which you'll use heavily in Module 2.

is_raining = True
is_sunny = False
print(is_raining, is_sunny)

Checking a value's type

Python has a built-in function, type(), that tells you what type something is:

print(type(25))
print(type(9.99))
print(type("hello"))
print(type(True))

Try it yourself

Create one variable of each type — an int, a float, a str, and a bool — then print all four of their types using type().

Checkpoint

• int = whole numbers, float = decimal numbers.
• str = text, wrapped in quotes.
• bool = True or False.
• type(value) tells you a value's type.