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Python Python Basics (2015) Python for Beginners The Python Shell

Posted by Benjamin Hedgepeth
Benjamin Hedgepeth
5,672 Points

What is a class in Python?

At 7:08, Kenneth says "String belongs to a class or an object that's named S-T-R."

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Python_Programming/Classes#str

  • "Classes are a way of aggregating similar data and functions. A class is basically a scope inside which various code (especially function definitions) is executed."

It appears that the term 'class' is delineated in multiple scopes. One being it aggregates similar types of data. So is class and data type used interchangeably? The class 'str' signifies all values that are a set of character strings?

With regards to "A class is basically a scope inside which various code (especially function definitions) is executed."

So in some instance if someone wanted to combine a set of functions to perform a unique computation the class would identify those functions whenever it was called?

2 Answers

Karen Freeman-Smith
Karen Freeman-Smith
29,248 Points
Karen Freeman-Smith
Karen Freeman-Smith
29,248 Points

The data type of string is an object. For the basics class that means that you can call functions like .lower() on your strings and do cool things to them (in that case make it all lowercase). In a later course they will show you how to create classes/objects of your own and then you will have more detailed answers about what a class/object is. For now, it just means you can call functions on the strings.

Benjamin Hedgepeth
Benjamin Hedgepeth
5,672 Points

I am unclear as to what an object is. When you say the data type of string is an object do you mean that any set of characters enclosed within a set of parenthesis is an object?

For example when I have:

computer = "hp"

"hp" is considered an object?

diegoholt
diegoholt
1,076 Points
diegoholt
diegoholt
1,076 Points

Benjamin,

Yes you are correct, "hp" is considered a string object.