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One of the most powerful aspects of Python is its dynamic typing feature, which allows developers to declare variables without specifying their data types explicitly. However, working with different data types often requires converting one data type to another. Fortunately, Python provides various methods for type conversions and typecasting. Let’s explore both concepts and see how they differ from each other through real-world examples.
Type Conversion vs. Typecasting
Before diving deeper into the topic, let’s clarify the difference between type conversion and typecasting. Both terms refer to changing a variable’s data type, but there’s a subtle distinction between them:
- Type Conversion: When a built-in function automatically changes the data type of a given object, it’s known as type conversion. Examples include
int()
,float()
,str()
, andbool()
. - Typecasting: On the other hand, typecasting involves manually forcing a change in the data type of a given object. We typically perform typecasting using constructor functions like
int()
,float()
, andstr()
. Although similar…