• 👉 Overview
• 👀 What ?
• 🧐 Why ?
• ⛏️ How ?
• ⏳ When ?
• ⚙️ Technical Explanations
• 🖇️ References

👉 Overview

👀 What ?

A format string template is a way to format strings in Python. It allows variable substitutions and value formatting within strings. This method of string formatting is often preferred for its readability and ease of use.

🧐 Why ?

Format string templates are important because they provide a flexible and efficient way to handle and manipulate strings in Python. This feature is particularly useful in cases where you need to include variable data within a string, such as in logs, user notifications, or complex print statements. Understanding how to use format strings can greatly simplify your code and make it more readable and maintainable.

⛏️ How ?

To use a format string template, you start with a string that contains placeholders, denoted by curly braces {}. You can put variables or expressions inside the curly braces, and they will be evaluated and inserted into the string when it is formatted. For example: name = 'Alice'; print(f'Hello {name}') will output 'Hello Alice'. You can also format the values by including a format specification after the variable or expression, separated by a colon. For example: number = 12345.6789; print(f'{number:.2f}') will output '12345.68'.

⏳ When ?

Format strings were introduced in Python 3.6 as a new and improved way to format strings. They have since become a popular feature due to their simplicity and flexibility.

⚙️ Technical Explanations

Format strings work by using a process called interpolation. When a format string is evaluated, the Python interpreter scans the string from left to right. When it encounters an opening curly brace, it treats the following text as a variable or expression to be evaluated. If it encounters a colon within the curly braces, it treats the text after the colon as a format specification, which can control how the value is converted to a string. For example, it can specify the number of decimal places for a float, or the field width for a string. Once the end of the curly braces is reached, the value is inserted into the string in place of the braces and any contained code. This process is repeated for each pair of curly braces in the string.

🖇️ References