Type checking using type() in Python - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Type checking using type()

Start

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Have a variable

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Call type(variable)

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Get type result

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Compare or print type

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Use type info as needed

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End

This flow shows how Python checks the type of a variable using the type() function and then uses that information.

Execution Sample

Python

x = 10
print(type(x))
y = 'hello'
print(type(y))

This code checks and prints the types of two variables: an integer and a string.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Variable	type(variable)	Output
1	Assign 10 to x	x=10	int
2	Call type(x)	x=10	int	<class 'int'>
3	Print type(x)	x=10	int	<class 'int'>
4	Assign 'hello' to y	y='hello'	str
5	Call type(y)	y='hello'	str	<class 'str'>
6	Print type(y)	y='hello'	str	<class 'str'>

💡 All variables checked and their types printed.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 4	Final
x	undefined	10	10	10
y	undefined	undefined	'hello'	'hello'

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does type(x) return <class 'int'> instead of just 'int'?

type() returns the type object, which prints as <class 'int'>. This shows the variable's type clearly. See execution_table step 2.

Can type() tell the difference between strings and numbers?

Yes, type() returns different type objects like <class 'int'> for numbers and <class 'str'> for strings, as shown in steps 2 and 5.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at step 5, what is the type of variable y?

A <class 'int'>

B <class 'str'>

C <class 'float'>

D <class 'list'>

💡 Hint

Check the 'type(variable)' column at step 5 in the execution_table.

At which step is the variable x assigned a value?

A Step 1

B Step 2

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Action' and 'Variable' columns in the execution_table for when x gets a value.

If we change x to 3.14, what would type(x) return?

A <class 'int'>

B <class 'str'>

C <class 'float'>

D <class 'bool'>

💡 Hint

Recall that 3.14 is a decimal number, which Python treats as float.

Concept Snapshot

type(variable) returns the type of the variable.
It shows the class like <class 'int'> or <class 'str'>.
Use it to check what kind of data a variable holds.
Useful for debugging or conditional checks.
Example: type(x) == int checks if x is an integer.

Full Transcript

This lesson shows how Python's type() function checks the type of a variable. We assign values to variables x and y, then call type() on them. The output shows <class 'int'> for x when it holds 10, and <class 'str'> for y when it holds 'hello'. This helps us understand what kind of data each variable contains. Beginners often wonder why the output shows <class 'int'> instead of just int; this is Python's way of showing the type object clearly. The execution table traces each step, showing variable assignments and type checks. The variable tracker shows how x and y change from undefined to their assigned values. Quizzes test understanding of variable types and when assignments happen. Remember, type() is a simple way to see what data type a variable has in Python.