Learning Python – Post 2: Using print(), Formatting Output, and Understanding Data Types

Learning Python – Post 2: Using `print()`, Formatting Output, and Understanding Data Types

How to Open Jupyter Notebook (Quick Start)

Before we begin writing any Python code, make sure you can open Jupyter Notebook. Here’s how I do it step-by-step using Anaconda:

Open with Anaconda Navigator (GUI)

Click Start on your computer (Windows).
Search for Anaconda Navigator and open it.
When it loads, find the Jupyter Notebook tile.
Click Launch — it will automatically open in your browser.

Once it’s open:

Navigate to the folder where you want to work.
Click New > Python 3 (top right).
A new notebook will open — ready for your Python code.

Let’s Begin Coding

In this post, I’m sharing what I learned during my first real coding session with Python. I started using the print() function to display information, format output, and explore basic data types.

Let’s get into it.

Printing Numbers and Strings

The print() function displays data in the console. You can use it with numbers, text (strings), or both.

print(42)
print(3.14)

Output:

42
3.14

Printing a string (a sequence of characters) requires quotes:

print("John")

Output:

John

Using Variables and Printing Results

You can store values in variables and perform calculations:

a = 5
b = 10
print(a + b)

Output:

Printing Multiple Items

You can print several items at once by separating them with commas. Python adds a space between each item by default:

print("Today is", "Monday")
print(100, 3.5, "Hello", "World")

Output:

Today is Monday  
100 3.5 Hello World

String Formatting with `sep`

The sep parameter controls what goes between printed items.

print("January", "February", "March", sep=" | ")

Output:

January | February | March

This is useful when printing values like dates:

print("08", "07", "2025", sep="/")

Output:

08/07/2025

Newlines and Tabs

Python supports escape characters like \n (new line) and \t (tab):

print("Hello\nHow are you?\nGoodbye")

Output:

Hello  
How are you?  
Goodbye

print("A\t\t\tB")

Output:

A			B

Displaying Items on Separate Lines

You can use sep="\n" to print items each on a new line:

print("Alice", "Bob", "Charlie", sep="\n")

Output:

Alice  
Bob  
Charlie

Checking Data Types with `type()`

The type() function tells you what kind of value (data type) you’re working with.

type(34)        # int → integer (whole number)
type(3.14)      # float → decimal number
type("Python")  # str → string

These are fundamental to understanding how Python treats different values.

Summary

In this lesson, I practiced:

Using the print() function
Printing numbers, strings, and variables
Formatting output using sep, \n, and \t
Using type() to inspect data types

This felt like a great first step — the basics may be simple, but they’re powerful. Clear output and clean formatting go a long way when building programs