Positively Identifying Python Variable Type

December 11, 2021

Trying to figure out how to positively identify the variable types.

w = {}
x = ""
y = 2
z = []

a = type(w)
b = type(x)
c = type(y)
d = type(z)

print(a)
print(b)
print(c)
print(d)

if a == 'dict': print ("Ok - its a dict")
elif a != 'dict': print ("Wrong - its not a dict")
    
if b == 'str': print ("Ok - its a string")
elif b != 'str': print ("Wrong - its not a string")
    
if c == 'int': print ("Ok - its an int")
elif c != 'int': print ("Wrong - its not an int")

if d == 'list': print ("Ok - okay, its a list")
elif d != 'list': print ("Wrong - its not a list")

Generates the following output:

<class 'dict'>
<class 'str'>
<class 'int'>
<class 'list'>

The type() command generates a "class" structure, which makes it hard to positively identify the variable type in question.

Is there a way to get to the variable in the each class?

>Solution :

you need to address python data types correctly.

'dict' is not a data type but a string, however, dict is. It is a python data type and it belongs to <class 'dict'>.


w = {}
z = []
a = type(w)
b = type(z)
if a == dict: 
    print ("Ok - its a dict")
else:
    print('it is not')

if type(z) == list:
    print('z is a list')
else:
    print('z is not a list')

output: