Python - String Format Method

In this tutorial we will learn about the string format method in Python.

In Python we get the format method which allows us to format string by substituting multiple values at different positions in the string.

Single value substitution

This works by putting {} in a string and then calling the format() method.

Syntax

{}.format(value)

Where {} is a placeholder which is substituted by the value.

The value can be a character, string, integer, floating point number and even a variable.

Example

In the following example we are formatting the given string.

# string format
str = "Hello {}".format("World")

# output
print(str)            # Hello World

In the above code the value World will be insert at {} position in the string "Hello {}".

Example: Substituting variable

In the following example we are substituting the value of a variable in the given string.

# string
s = "World"

# string format
str = "Hello {}".format(s)

# output
print(str)            # Hello World

Multiple value substitution

We can place multiple {} in a string and then substitute more that one values using the format method.

Syntax

{}{}{}.format(value1, value2, value3)

In the above syntax we are substituting 3 values at three positions.

Example

In the following example we are substituting 3 values in the given string.

# string formatting
str = "The quick {} fox {} over {} lazy dog.".format("brown", "jumps", "the")

# output
print(str)

We will get the following output for the above code.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Positional substitution

We can set position numbers like {i} and it will be substituted by the value at ith position in the format method.

Syntax

{0}{1}{2}.format(value0, value1, value2)

In the above syntax value0 will be inserted at the placeholder {0}.

value1 will be inserted at the placeholder {1} and value2 will be inserted at the placeholder {2}.

Index number starts from 0.

Example

In the following example we are substituting values at two positions.

# string formatting
str = "The quick brown {0} jumps over the lazy {1}.".format("fox", "dog")

# output
print(str)

In the above Python program the value fox is inserted at position {0} and the value dog is inserted at the position {1}.

Another example

In the following example we are substituting values at three positions.

# string formatting
str = "The quick {2} {0} jumps over the lazy {1}.".format("fox", "dog", "brown")

# output
print(str)     # The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

The insertion occurs in the following order.

{0} --> fox
{1} --> dog
{2} --> brown

Field specific substitution

The value is substituted at the position after going through the conversion.

{position:conversion}.format(value)

And following are some of the conversion type.

Example

In the following Python program were are substituting the values using format method.

print("Hello {0:s}!!!".format("World"))             # Hello World!!!

print("This is an integer {0:d}".format(10))        # This is an integer 10

print("Float value {0:f}".format(123.4567))         # Float value 123.456700

print("Float value {0:.2f}".format(123.4567))       # Float value 123.46

print("Binary value {0:b}".format(12))              # Binary value 1100

print("Octal value {0:o}".format(12))               # Octal value 14

print("Hex lower case {0:x}".format(29))            # Hex lower case 1d

print("Hex upper case {0:X}".format(29))            # Hex upper case 1D

The {0:.2f} inserts a floating point value with 2 decimal place.