input() Function and its Use in Python Program

What is input() Function

The input() function in Python is used to accept input from the standard input device, typically the keyboard, and store it in a variable. Unlike the print() function, which displays data on the screen, the input() function reads data entered by the user from the keyboard.

Video Explanation

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Let's look at some examples to understand this better.

name = input("Enter your name: ")
print("Hello", name)

Enter your name: Peter
Hello Peter

In this example, we used the input() function to take input from the user. Inside the parentheses of the input() function, we wrote the text Enter your name, which will be displayed on the screen when you run the program. After taking input from the user, we stored it in the variable name, and then we printed the name on the screen using the print() function.

Including a message inside the input() function is optional. If you don't want to display a message, simply leave the parentheses empty.

name = input()
print("Hello", name)

Thomas
Hello Thomas

We can store the user’s input in multiple variables and use it in different parts of our program.

name = input("Enter your name: ")
age = input("Enter your age: ")
print("My name is {} and I am {} years old".format(name, age))

Enter your name: Alice
Enter your age: 15
My name is Alice and I am 15 years old

Converting User Input to Other Data Types

The input() function in Python always returns the user’s input as a string. Therefore, if we want to use the input as an integer or a floating-point number, we must explicitly convert it to the desired type using functions like int(), float(), and so on.

age = int(input("Enter your age: "))
print("Next year, you will be {} years old.".format(age+1))

Enter your age: 15
Next year, you will be 16 years old.

In this case, the user’s input is converted from a string to an integer using the int() function, allowing arithmetic operations.

height = float(input("Enter your height in meters: "))
print("Your height is: {:.2f} meters.".format(height))

Enter your height in meters: 1.72315
Your height is: 1.72 meters.

In this case, the user’s input is converted from a string to a float using the float() function, allowing for handling decimal values.