Python: Integer [Data Type]

Integer in Python represents whole numbers, without any fractional part. An integer can be positive, negative, or zero.

NOTES

Max size of an integer in Python depends on the memory of the machine.

Integers can be very large in Python, though working with a very large integer will be very slow.

If the integer in Python fits the integer size of the processor, then the processing will be much faster (relative to a large-size integer).

Create Integer

Create an integer by using the “int” function. If no value is provided to the “int” function then the default value is 0(Zero).

We can provide a value to the “int” function, and that will be the value of the integer-

big_box_int = int()

print("big_box_int: ", big_box_int)
print("type of big_box_int: ", type(big_box_int))

second_val = int(100)

print("second_val: ", second_val)
print("type of second_val: ", type(second_val))

third_val = int(-50)

print("third_val: ", third_val)
print("type of third_val: ", type(third_val))
Python

Output:

big_box_int:  0
type of big_box_int:  <class 'int'>

second_val:  100
type of second_val:  <class 'int'>

third_val:  -50
type of third_val:  <class 'int'>
Plaintext

Or we can just assign the value directly to the variable-

big_box_int = 100

print("big_box_int: ", big_box_int)
print("type of big_box_int: ", type(big_box_int))

second_val = -50

print("second_val: ", second_val)
print("type of second_val: ", type(second_val))
Python

Output:

big_box_int:  100
type of big_box_int:  <class 'int'>

second_val:  -50
type of second_val:  <class 'int'>
Plaintext

Integer Reassignment Internals

import ctypes

big_box_int = 1000

first_id = id(big_box_int)

print("Initial id: ", first_id)

big_box_int = 2000

print("ID after change: ", id(big_box_int))

obj = ctypes.cast(first_id, ctypes.py_object)

print("Old integer object: ", obj)
Python

Output:

Initial id:  2268869335344
ID after change:  2268872852048

Old integer object:  py_object(1000)
Plaintext

NOTES

Integers in Python are immutable internally. The object which is created internally for the integer, is never changed.

But we don’t notice it because of the assignment operator. When a new value is assigned to the same integer variable, a new integer object is created and the variable is pointed to that new object.

In the meantime, the old integer object remains as it is.

Python Integer Object
Python Integer Object

Integer with Different Base

By default, the integers are 10-based. We can write integers with different bases using different prefixes-

NameBaseStarts With
(Note: the followings start with 0)
Example
(All represent 1000)
Decimal101000
Binary20b0b1111101000
Octal80o0o1750
Hexadecimal160x0x3E8

Check the code below for representing numbers indifferent base-

big_box_int = 1000
big_box_binary = 0b1111101000
big_box_hex = 0x3E8
big_box_oct = 0o1750

print("Integer: ", big_box_int)
print("From Binary: ", big_box_binary)
print("From Hex: ", big_box_hex)
print("From Octal: ", big_box_oct)
Python

Output:

When we print with the “print” function it prints the decimal value(no matter what format we provided to it)-

Integer:  1000
From Binary:  1000
From Hex:  1000
From Octal:  1000
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Base Conversion

We can convert an integer(10-based) to a binary, hex or octal by using the relevant functions. Check the example below.

print("Binary representation: ", bin(1000))
print("Hex representation: ", hex(1000))
print("Oct representation: ", oct(1000))
Python

Output:

Binary representation:  0b1111101000
Hex representation:  0x3e8
Oct representation:  0o1750
Plaintext

We can also convert a string or any other type of data to an integer by using the “int” function. We can also provide the base for the “int” function.

print("Integer conversion: ", int("1000"))
print("Integer conversion with base 10: ", int("1000", 10))
print("Integer conversion with base 2: ", int("1000", 2))
print("Integer conversion with base 3: ", int("1000", 3))
print("Integer conversion with base 8: ", int("1000", 8))
Python

Output:

Integer conversion:  1000
Integer conversion with base 10:  1000
Integer conversion with base 2:  8
Integer conversion with base 3:  27
Integer conversion with base 8:  512
Plaintext

Base Conversion

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