What is the purpose of the type function in Python?
In Python, the type() function is used to return the type of an object. It can be used to check the type of a variable or value, as well as to dynamically create new classes.
Specifically, the role of the type() function is :
- Check the type of an object: You can use the type() function to check the type of a variable or value, for example, type(5) will return int, and type(‘hello’) will return str.
- Creating a new class: the type() function can be used to dynamically create a new class. By passing the class name, inherited parent class, and class attribute dictionary to the type() function, a new class can be created. For example:
- Create a class named MyClass with an attribute x equal to 5.
- The code above defines a new class named MyClass, which inherits from the object class and has an attribute x with a value of 5. This method of creating a class has the same effect as using the class keyword.
In conclusion, the type() function in Python serves multiple purposes, such as checking the type of an object or dynamically creating new classes.