Python Built-in Functions
Discover the powerful functions that Python provides out of the box and learn how they can streamline your programming workflow.
Core Built-in Functions Reference
| Function | Purpose | Syntax | Return Type | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| abs() | Returns the absolute value of a number | abs(x) |
int | float | complex | abs(-5) → 5 |
| all() | Returns True if all elements in an iterable are truthy | all(iterable) |
bool | all([True, True]) → True |
| any() | Returns True if any element in an iterable is truthy | any(iterable) |
bool | any([False, True]) → True |
| ascii() | Returns a printable ASCII representation of an object | ascii(object) |
str | ascii('ñ') → '\\xf1' |
| bin() | Converts an integer to a binary string | bin(x) |
str | bin(5) → '0b101' |
| bool() | Converts a value to a boolean | bool(x) |
bool | bool(0) → False |
| breakpoint() | Enters the debugger at the calling point | breakpoint() |
None | breakpoint() → starts debugger |
| bytearray() | Returns a new array of bytes | bytearray([source[, encoding[, errors]]]) |
bytearray | bytearray('abc', 'utf-8') |
| bytes() | Returns a new immutable bytes object | bytes([source[, encoding[, errors]]]) |
bytes | bytes('abc', 'utf-8') |
| callable() | Checks if an object appears callable | callable(object) |
bool | callable(len) → True |
| chr() | Returns the character for a given Unicode code point | chr(i) |
str | chr(65) → 'A' |
| classmethod() | Converts a method to a class method | classmethod(function) |
classmethod | classmethod(my_method) |
| compile() | Compiles source code into a code object | compile(source, filename, mode) |
code | compile('2+2', '', 'eval') |
| complex() | Creates a complex number | complex(real[, imag]) |
complex | complex(1, 2) → (1+2j) |
| delattr() | Deletes an attribute from an object | delattr(object, name) |
None | delattr(obj, 'attr') |
| dict() | Creates a dictionary | dict(**kwargs) |
dict | dict(a=1, b=2) |
| dir() | Returns a list of valid attributes of an object | dir([object]) |
list | dir([]) |
| divmod() | Returns quotient and remainder | divmod(a, b) |
tuple | divmod(5, 2) → (2, 1) |
| enumerate() | Returns an enumerate object with index and value pairs | enumerate(iterable, start=0) |
enumerate | list(enumerate(['a', 'b'])) |
| eval() | Evaluates a string as a Python expression | eval(expression[, globals[, locals]]) |
any | eval('2+2') → 4 |
| exec() | Executes Python code dynamically | exec(object[, globals[, locals]]) |
None | exec("x=5") |
| filter() | Filters elements using a function | filter(function, iterable) |
filter | list(filter(bool, [0, 1, 2])) |
| float() | Converts a value to a floating point number | float(x) |
float | float("3.14") |
| format() | Formats a value into a string | format(value[, format_spec]) |
str | format(255, 'x') → 'ff' |
| frozenset() | Returns an immutable frozenset | frozenset([iterable]) |
frozenset | frozenset([1, 2]) |
| getattr() | Gets the value of an attribute | getattr(object, name[, default]) |
any | getattr(obj, 'attr') |
| globals() | Returns the current global symbol table | globals() |
dict | globals() |
| hasattr() | Checks if an object has an attribute | hasattr(object, name) |
bool | hasattr([], 'append') → True |
| hash() | Returns the hash value of an object | hash(object) |
int | hash("test") |
| help() | Invokes the built-in help system | help([object]) |
None | help(len) |
| hex() | Converts an integer to a hexadecimal string | hex(x) |
str | hex(255) → '0xff' |
| id() | Returns the identity of an object | id(object) |
int | id(42) |
| input() | Reads a line from input | input([prompt]) |
str | input("Name: ") |
| int() | Converts a value to an integer | int(value, base=10) |
int | int("123") → 123 |
| isinstance() | Checks if object is an instance of a class | isinstance(object, classinfo) |
bool | isinstance(42, int) → True |
| issubclass() | Checks if a class is a subclass of another | issubclass(class, classinfo) |
bool | issubclass(bool, int) → True |
| iter() | Returns an iterator from an object | iter(object[, sentinel]) |
iterator | iter([1, 2]) |
| len() | Returns the number of items in an object | len(object) |
int | len("hello") → 5 |
| list() | Creates a new list | list([iterable]) |
list | list("abc") → ['a', 'b', 'c'] |
| locals() | Returns the current local symbol table | locals() |
dict | locals() |
| map() | Applies a function to each item in an iterable | map(function, iterable) |
map | list(map(str, [1, 2])) |
| max() | Returns the largest item | max(iterable, *[, key, default]) |
any | max([1, 3, 2]) → 3 |
| memoryview() | Returns a memory view object | memoryview(object) |
memoryview | memoryview(b'abc') |
| min() | Returns the smallest item | min(iterable, *[, key, default]) |
any | min([1, 3, 2]) → 1 |
| next() | Retrieves the next item from an iterator | next(iterator[, default]) |
any | next(iter([1,2])) |
| object() | Returns a new featureless object | object() |
object | object() |
| oct() | Converts an integer to an octal string | oct(x) |
str | oct(8) → '0o10' |
| open() | Opens a file | open(file, mode='r') |
file object | open('file.txt') |
| ord() | Returns Unicode code point of a character | ord(c) |
int | ord('A') → 65 |
| pow() | Returns x to the power y | pow(x, y[, z]) |
int | float | pow(2, 3) → 8 |
| print() | Prints to standard output | print(*objects, sep=' ', end='\n') |
None | print("Hello") |
| property() | Creates a property attribute | property(fget=None, fset=None, fdel=None, doc=None) |
property | property() |
| range() | Returns an immutable sequence of numbers | range(start, stop[, step]) |
range | range(5) → [0,1,2,3,4] |
| repr() | Returns a string representation of an object | repr(object) |
str | repr("hi") → "'hi'" |
| reversed() | Returns a reversed iterator | reversed(seq) |
iterator | list(reversed([1, 2])) |
| round() | Rounds a number | round(number[, ndigits]) |
int | float | round(3.1416, 2) → 3.14 |
| set() | Creates a new set | set([iterable]) |
set | set([1, 2]) |
| setattr() | Sets an attribute on an object | setattr(object, name, value) |
None | setattr(obj, 'attr', 5) |
| slice() | Creates a slice object | slice(start, stop[, step]) |
slice | slice(1, 5, 2) |
| sorted() | Returns a sorted list | sorted(iterable, *, key=None, reverse=False) |
list | sorted([3, 1, 2]) → [1, 2, 3] |
| staticmethod() | Converts a method to a static method | staticmethod(function) |
staticmethod | staticmethod(my_method) |
| str() | Converts a value to a string | str(object='') |
str | str(123) → '123' |
| sum() | Returns the sum of an iterable | sum(iterable, start=0) |
int | float | sum([1, 2, 3]) → 6 |
| super() | Returns a proxy object for superclass method calls | super([type[, object-or-type]]) |
super | super().method() |
| tuple() | Creates a tuple | tuple([iterable]) |
tuple | tuple("ab") → ('a','b') |
| type() | Returns the type/class of an object | type(object) |
type | type(42) → <class 'int'> |
| vars() | Returns the __dict__ of an object |
vars([object]) |
dict | vars(obj) |
| zip() | Aggregates elements from iterables into tuples | zip(*iterables) |
zip | list(zip([1,2],[3,4])) |
| __import__() | Imports a module | __import__(name, globals=None, locals=None, fromlist=(), level=0) |
module | __import__('math') |