Standard functions

The table below contains the most important standard functions for this course. Check the Python-documentation for a complete list and for detailed descriptions.

Function	Explanation	Example
abs	Absolute value. The argument should be a number.
float	Returns a float-value of a number or a string that can interpreted as a number.	float('1.3') gives 1.3 float('1.3\n') gives 1.3
format	Format conversion.	format(1/3,'.2f') gives '0.33' format(1/3,'5.1f') gives ' 0.3'
help	Gives help.	help(help) help(input)
input	Read a string from standard input.	s = input() x = eval(input('Give a number: ))
int	Converts a number or a string to an integer.	int(3.9) gives 3 int(-3.9) gives -3 int('34') gives 34
len	Returns the length of a list, a tuple ocr a string.	len((1,2,3)) gives 3 len('"Hej!"') gives 6
list	Constructs a list from a string or a tuple.	list('abc') gives [a, b, c]
max	Returns the maximum value in a list, tuple or string.	max(3, 7, 5) gives 7 max('axel') gives 'x'
min	Returns the minimum value in a list, tuple or string.	min([4, 3.5, 4, 9]) gives 3.5
open	Opens a file.	ifil = open('data.txt','r') ofil = open('result.txt', 'w')
pow	Returns x raised to y.
print	Prints in console window.	print(x + 4) print('Ciao!', end='') No line brake
range	Generates a sequence of integers. Typically used in for-statements.	range(5) generates 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 range(3, 6) generates 3, 4, 5 range(0, 6, 2) generates 0, 2, 4
round	Rounds floating point numbers.	round(5/3) gives 2 round(5/3, 1) gives 1.7 round(5/3, 2) gives 1.67
sorted	Returns a list with elements sorted.	sorted('yxa') gives ['y', 'x', 'a'] sorted((3,1,5,2)) gives [1, 2, 3, 5]
str	Returns the argument as a string.	str([1, 2]) gives '[1, 2]'
sum	Returns the sum.	sum((1, 2, 3)) gives 6
type	Returns the data type.	x = 2 type(x) == int gives True type(x) == str gives False
zip	Returns an object for merging things.	list(zip('ab', '12')) gives [('a', '1'), ('b', '2')] list(zip([1, 3, 5],[2, 4, 6, 8]) gives [(1, 2), (3, 4), (5, 6)]