Python String format() Method

Last Updated : 14 Aug, 2023

The format() method is a powerful tool that allows developers to create formatted strings by embedding variables and values into placeholders within a template string. This method offers a flexible and versatile way to construct textual output for a wide range of applications. Python string format() function has been introduced for handling complex string formatting more efficiently. Sometimes we want to make generalized print statements in that case instead of writing print statements every time we use the concept of formatting.

Python String Format() Syntax

Syntax: { }.format(value)

Parameters:

value : Can be an integer, floating point numeric constant, string, characters or even variables.

Returntype: Returns a formatted string with the value passed as parameter in the placeholder position.

String Format() in Python Example

A simple demonstration of Python String format() Method in Python.

Python3

name = "Ram"
age = 22
message = "My name is {0} and I am {1} years \
                    old. {1} is my favorite \
                    number.".format(name, age)
print(message)

Output

My name is Ram and I am 22 years old. 22 is my favorite number.

Using .Format() Method

This method of the built-in string class provides functionality for complex variable substitutions and value formatting. This new formatting technique is regarded as more elegant. The general syntax of format() method is string.format(var1, var2,…). Here we will try to understand how to Format A String That Contains Curly Braces In Python.

Python3

txt = "I have {an:.2f} Rupees!"
print(txt.format(an = 4))

Output

I have 4.00 Rupees!

Using a Single Formatter

In this example, we will use the string bracket notation program to demonstrate the str. format() method. Formatters work by putting in one or more replacement fields and placeholders defined by a pair of curly braces { } into a string and calling the str.format().

Python3

# using format option in a simple string
print("{}, A computer science portal for geeks."
      .format("GeeksforGeeks"))
 
# using format option for a
# value stored in a variable
str = "This article is written in {}"
print(str.format("Python"))
 
# formatting a string using a numeric constant
print("Hello, I am {} years old !".format(18))

Output

GeeksforGeeks, A computer science portal for geeks.
This article is written in Python
Hello, I am  18 years old!

String format() with multiple placeholders

Multiple pairs of curly braces can be used while formatting the string in Python. Let’s say another variable substitution is needed in the sentence, which can be done by adding a second pair of curly braces and passing a second value into the method. Python will replace the placeholders with values in order.

Syntax : { } { } .format(value1, value2)

Parameters : (value1, value2) : Can be integers, floating point numeric constants, strings, characters and even variables. Only difference is, the number of values passed as parameters in format() method must be equal to the number of placeholders created in the string.

Errors and Exceptions :

IndexError : Occurs when string has an extra placeholder, and we didn’t pass any value for it in the format() method. Python usually assigns the placeholders with default index in order like 0, 1, 2, 3…. to access the values passed as parameters. So when it encounters a placeholder whose index doesn’t have any value passed inside as parameter, it throws IndexError.

Python program using multiple placeholders to demonstrate str.format() method.

Python3

# Multiple placeholders in format() function
my_string = "{}, is a {} science portal for {}"
print(my_string.format("GeeksforGeeks", "computer", "geeks"))
 
# different datatypes can be used in formatting
print("Hi ! My name is {} and I am {} years old"
      .format("User", 19))
 
# The values passed as parameters
# are replaced in order of their entry
print("This is {} {} {} {}"
      .format("one", "two", "three", "four"))

Output

GeeksforGeeks, is a computer science portal for geeks
Hi! My name is User and I am 19 years old
This is one two three four

String format() IndexError

Python program demonstrating Index error number of placeholders is four but there are only three values passed.

Python3

# parameters in format function.
my_string = "{}, is a {} {} science portal for {}"
 
print(my_string.format("GeeksforGeeks", "computer", "geeks"))

Output

IndexError: tuple index out of range

Formatting Strings using Escape Sequences

You can use two or more specially designated characters within a string to format a string or perform a command. These characters are called escape sequences. An Escape sequence in Python starts with a backslash (\). For example, \n is an escape sequence in which the common meaning of the letter n is literally escaped and given an alternative meaning – a new line.

Escape sequence	Description	Example
\n	Breaks the string into a new line	print(‘I designed this rhyme to explain in due time\nAll I know’)
\t	Adds a horizontal tab	print(‘Time is a \tvaluable thing’)
\\	Prints a backslash	print(‘Watch it fly by\\as the pendulum swings’)
\’	Prints a single quote	print(‘It doesn\’t even matter how hard you try’)
\”	Prints a double quote	print(‘It is so\”unreal\”‘)
\a	makes a sound like a bell	print(‘\a’)

Formatters with Positional and Keyword Arguments

When placeholders { } are empty, Python will replace the values passed through str.format() in order. The values that exist within the str.format() method are essentially tuple data types and each individual value contained in the tuple can be called by its index number, which starts with the index number 0. These index numbers can be passed into the curly braces that serve as the placeholders in the original string.

Syntax : {0} {1}.format(positional_argument, keyword_argument)

Parameters : (positional_argument, keyword_argument)

Positional_argument can be integers, floating point numeric constants, strings, characters and even variables.

Keyword_argument is essentially a variable storing some value, which is passed as parameter.

Example: To demonstrate the use of formatters with positional key arguments.

Python3

# Positional arguments
# are placed in order
print("{0} love {1}!!".format("GeeksforGeeks",
                              "Geeks"))
 
# Reverse the index numbers with the
# parameters of the placeholders
print("{1} love {0}!!".format("GeeksforGeeks",
                              "Geeks"))
 
 
print("Every {} should know the use of {} {} programming and {}"
      .format("programmer", "Open", "Source",
              "Operating Systems"))
 
 
# Use the index numbers of the
# values to change the order that
# they appear in the string
print("Every {3} should know the use of {2} {1} programming and {0}"
      .format("programmer", "Open", "Source", "Operating Systems"))
 
 
# Keyword arguments are called
# by their keyword name
print("{gfg} is a {0} science portal for {1}"
      .format("computer", "geeks", gfg="GeeksforGeeks"))

Output

GeeksforGeeks love Geeks!! 
Geeks love GeeksforGeeks!! 
Every programmer should know the use of Open Source programming and Operating Systems 
Every Operating Systems should know the use of Source Open programming and programmer 
GeeksforGeeks is a computer science portal for geeks

Type Specifying In Python

More parameters can be included within the curly braces of our syntax. Use the format code syntax {field_name: conversion}, where field_name specifies the index number of the argument to the str.format() method, and conversion refers to the conversion code of the data type.

Using %s – string conversion via str() prior to formatting

Python3

print("%20s" % ('geeksforgeeks', ))
print("%-20s" % ('Interngeeks', ))
print("%.5s" % ('Interngeeks', ))

Output

geeksforgeeks
Interngeeks         
Inter

Using %c– character prior to formatting

Python3

type = 'bug'
 
result = 'troubling'
 
print('I wondered why the program was %s me. Then\
it dawned on me it was a %s .' %
      (result, type))

Output

I wondered why the program was troubling me. Thenit dawned on me it was a bug .

Using %i signed decimal integer and %d signed decimal integer(base-10) prior to formatting

Python3

match = 12000
 
site = 'Amazon'
 
print("%s is so useful. I tried to look\
up mobile and they had a nice one that cost %d rupees." % (site, match))

Output

Amazon is so useful. I tried to lookup mobile and they had a nice one that cost 12000 rupees.

Another useful Type Specifying

%u unsigned decimal integer
%o octal integer
f – floating-point display
b – binary number
o – octal number
%x – hexadecimal with lowercase letters after 9
%X– hexadecimal with uppercase letters after 9
e – exponent notation

You can also specify formatting symbols. The only change is using a colon (:) instead of %.

For example, instead of %s use {:s} and instead of %d use (:d}

Syntax : String {field_name:conversion} Example.format(value)
Errors and Exceptions :
ValueError : Error occurs during type conversion in this method.

Convert base-10 decimal integers to floating-point numeric constants

Python3

print("This site is {0:f}% securely {1}!!".
      format(100, "encrypted"))
 
# To limit the precision
print("My average of this {0} was {1:.2f}%"
      .format("semester", 78.234876))
 
# For no decimal places
print("My average of this {0} was {1:.0f}%"
      .format("semester", 78.234876))
 
# Convert an integer to its binary or
# with other different converted bases.
print("The {0} of 100 is {1:b}"
      .format("binary", 100))
 
print("The {0} of 100 is {1:o}"
      .format("octal", 100))

Output

This site is 100.000000% securely encrypted!!
My average of this semester was 78.23%
My average of this semester was 78%
The binary of 100 is 1100100
The octal of 100 is 144

Type Specifying Errors

Demonstrate ValueError while doing forced type-conversions

Python3

# When explicitly converted floating-point
# values to decimal with base-10 by 'd'
# type conversion we encounter Value-Error.
print("The temperature today is {0:d} degrees outside !"
      .format(35.567))
 
# Instead write this to avoid value-errors
''' print("The temperature today is {0:.0f} degrees outside !"
                                            .format(35.567))'''

Output

ValueError: Unknown format code 'd' for object of type 'float'

Padding Substitutions or Generating Spaces

Demonstration of spacing when strings are passed as parameters

By default, strings are left-justified within the field, and numbers are right-justified. We can modify this by placing an alignment code just following the colon.

<   :  left-align text in the field
^   :  center text in the field
>   :  right-align text in the field

Python3

# To demonstrate spacing when
# strings are passed as parameters
print("{0:4}, is the computer science portal for {1:8}!"
      .format("GeeksforGeeks", "geeks"))
 
# To demonstrate spacing when numeric
# constants are passed as parameters.
print("It is {0:5} degrees outside !"
      .format(40))
 
# To demonstrate both string and numeric
# constants passed as parameters
print("{0:4} was founded in {1:16}!"
      .format("GeeksforGeeks", 2009))
 
 
# To demonstrate aligning of spaces
print("{0:^16} was founded in {1:<4}!"
      .format("GeeksforGeeks", 2009))
 
print("{:*^20s}".format("Geeks"))

Output :

GeeksforGeeks, is the computer science portal for geeks   !
It is    40 degrees outside!
GeeksforGeeks was founded in             2009!
 GeeksforGeeks   was founded in 2009 !
*******Geeks********

Applications

Formatters are generally used to Organize Data. Formatters can be seen in their best light when they are being used to organize a lot of data in a visual way. If we are showing databases to users, using formatters to increase field size and modify alignment can make the output more readable.

Example: To demonstrate the organization of large data using format()

Python3

# which prints out i, i ^ 2, i ^ 3,
#  i ^ 4 in the given range
 
# Function prints out values
# in an unorganized manner
def unorganized(a, b):
    for i in range(a, b):
        print(i, i**2, i**3, i**4)
 
# Function prints the organized set of values
def organized(a, b):
    for i in range(a, b):
 
        # Using formatters to give 6
        # spaces to each set of values
        print("{:6d} {:6d} {:6d} {:6d}"
              .format(i, i ** 2, i ** 3, i ** 4))
 
# Driver Code
n1 = int(input("Enter lower range :-\n"))
n2 = int(input("Enter upper range :-\n"))
 
print("------Before Using Formatters-------")
 
# Calling function without formatters
unorganized(n1, n2)
 
print()
print("-------After Using Formatters---------")
print()
 
# Calling function that contains
# formatters to organize the data
organized(n1, n2)

Output :

Enter lower range :-
3
Enter upper range :-
10
------Before Using Formatters-------
3 9 27 81
4 16 64 256
5 25 125 625
6 36 216 1296
7 49 343 2401
8 64 512 4096
9 81 729 6561
-------After Using Formatters---------
     3      9     27     81
     4     16     64    256
     5     25    125    625
     6     36    216   1296
     7     49    343   2401
     8     64    512   4096
     9     81    729   6561

Using a dictionary for string formatting

Using a dictionary to unpack values into the placeholders in the string that needs to be formatted. We basically use ** to unpack the values. This method can be useful in string substitution while preparing an SQL query.

Python3

introduction = 'My name is {first_name} {middle_name} {last_name} AKA the {aka}.'
full_name = {
    'first_name': 'Tony',
    'middle_name': 'Howard',
    'last_name': 'Stark',
    'aka': 'Iron Man',
}
 
# Notice the use of "**" operator to unpack the values.
print(introduction.format(**full_name))

Output:

My name is Tony Howard Stark AKA the Iron Man.

Python format() with list

Given a list of float values, the task is to truncate all float values to 2 decimal digits. Let&#x2019s see the different methods to do the task.

Python3

# Python code to truncate float
# values to 2 decimal digits.
   
# List initialization
Input = [100.7689454, 17.232999, 60.98867, 300.83748789]
   
# Using format
Output = ['{:.2f}'.format(elem) for elem in Input]
   
# Print output
print(Output)

Output

['100.77', '17.23', '60.99', '300.84']

retr0

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Python String Format() Syntax

String Format() in Python Example

Python3

Using .Format() Method

Python3

Using a Single Formatter

Python3

String format() with multiple placeholders

Python3

String format() IndexError

Python3

Formatting Strings using Escape Sequences

Formatters with Positional and Keyword Arguments

Python3

Type Specifying In Python

Using %s – string conversion via str() prior to formatting

Python3

Using %c– character prior to formatting

Python3

Using %i signed decimal integer and %d signed decimal integer(base-10) prior to formatting

Python3

Another useful Type Specifying

Convert base-10 decimal integers to floating-point numeric constants

Python3

Type Specifying Errors

Python3

Padding Substitutions or Generating Spaces

Demonstration of spacing when strings are passed as parameters

Python3

Applications

Example: To demonstrate the organization of large data using format()

Python3

Using a dictionary for string formatting

Python3

Python format() with list

Python3

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