8.7. Template Literals

Earlier, we used concatenation to combine strings and variables together in order to create a specific output:

Example

name = 'Jack'
current_age = 9

print("Next year, " + name + " will be " + str(current_age + 1) + ".")

Console Output

Next year, Jack will be 10.

Note the following:

1. We must include spaces inside each of the strings to make the output readable. Without the spaces, line 4 prints Nextyear,Jackwillbe10.

2. In order to concatenate, we must convert the int value from the expression current_age + 1 into the str data type.

While it does work, concatenation quickly gets tedious for any output that depends on multiple variables. Also, concatenation usually requires several test runs of the code in order to check for syntax errors and proper spacing. Fortunately, Python offers us a better way to accomplish the same thing.

Template literals allow for the automatic insertion of expressions and variable values into strings.

Within a template literal, type the string, but leave placeholders where you want to insert values. Placeholders are identified by a pair of curly braces, {}. When the program runs, the placeholders are replaced by the values we want to include in the string.

Let’s compare the string concatenation in the example above to a template literal:

# Concatenation (messy, complicated, hard to read)
"Next year, " + name + " will be " + str(current_age + 1) + "."

# Template literal (beautiful, simple, easier to read)
"Next year, {} will be {}."

The braces {} indicate where we want to insert the values for name and current_age + 1. Note how we only need one pair of quotes, and the spacing fits naturally around the {}. Python also takes care of any data type conversions.

8.7.1. The format() Method

Template literals allow us to insert variables and other expressions directly into strings. To accomplish this, we need:

1. A string that includes curly braces {}.

2. The .format() method.

3. A value to insert into each set of braces.

The general syntax is:

string_with_braces.format(value_1, value_2, etc.)

The values inside format() can be numbers, strings, variables, or expressions.

Example

Compare the difference between printing output by itself vs. printing output.format().

name = 'Jack'
current_age = 9
output = "Next year, {} will be {}."

print(output)
print(output.format(name, current_age + 1))

Console Output

Next year, {} will be {}.
Next year, Jack will be 10.

Python works from left to right through the string, replacing each placeholder with the next value inside format().

Try It!

Experiment with the format() string method.

1. Run the program several times with different values for my_string and my_number.

2. Change the order of my_number and my_string inside the format parentheses. What happens?

3. Change the location of one set of {} in output. What happens?

4. Remove one set of {} from output and run the program. What happens?

5. Use four or more {} inside output and run the program. What happens?

my_string = 'Hello'
my_number = 3
my_expression = my_string * my_number

output = '''This is my_string: "{}".
This is a my_number: {}.
This is the length of my_string * my_number: {}'''

print(output.format(my_string, my_number, len(my_expression)))

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Note

Python fills the empty braces {} from left to right through the string, and it uses the values given in format from left to right as well.

If you are missing a brace, any input you expected to see might be in an different spot. With too many braces, an error will be thrown and a message will pop up. Either way, the output will not be what you expected.

8.7.1.1. Index Values with format()

What if we want to use the same value multiple times in a string?

Example

Let’s take the case where we add a number to itself three times:

my_num = 10
output = '{} + {} + {} = {}'

print(output.format(my_num, my_num, my_num, 3*my_num))

Console Output

10 + 10 + 10 = 30

Remember that when we code, we want to avoid repeating ourselves as much as possible. Typing my_num three times inside format() should set off alarm bells in our heads. There is a shorter way.

We can include index values inside of the curly braces {}. These indices (a plural of index) refer to the items inside format(), and the indexes begin with 0. Zero-based counting strikes again!

Example

Let’s add index values to the template literal:

my_num = 10
output = '{0} + {0} + {0} = {1}'

print(output.format(my_num, 3*my_num))

Console Output

10 + 10 + 10 = 30

When Python evaluates {0}, it inserts the first value from format(). {1} gets replaced by the second value. Since {0} occurs three times, my_num is used for each one.

If we add another value inside format(), we can insert it into the string by adding {2} to output.

Index values in template literals are flexible. The order of the values in curly braces does not need to match the order of the values within format().

Example

output = "Hello, {1}. You turn {0} years old today. Happy birthday, {1}!"

print(output.format(5, 'Anna'))

Console Output

Hello, Anna. You turn 5 years old today. Happy birthday, Anna!

Notice how the string 'Anna' is used first in the print statement, even though it comes second within format().

Tip

Even if you do not think you will need indicies in a template literal, it is a good idea to use them anyway!

In this book, most of the template literals used in the examples and starter code will contain index values.

8.7.2. f-Strings

Python versions 3.6 and later provide another way to insert values and expressions into a string. The new format is called an f-string, for format string.

f"This is a string with a {name}, an {age}, and a calculated result, {3+2*10}."

Items to note:

1. f-strings begin with the character f, followed by the string in quotes.

2. Instead of index values, variable names or expressions are placed inside the curly braces {}.

Example

Let’s refactor an earlier example to use an f-string:

name = 'Jack'
current_age = 9
output = f"Next year, {name} will be {current_age + 1}."

print(output)

Console Output

Next year, Jack will be 10.

Essentially, f replaces .format, and using variable names and/or expressions inside the braces replaces the index values. When Python comes across an f in front of a string, it evaluates everything within the curly braces and inserts the results into the string.

Note

We won’t discuss f-strings further in this book. If you are interested in digging deeper, here are a couple of places to start:

1. Python String Formatting Best Practices,

2. Python 3’s f-Strings.

8.7.3. Check Your Understanding

Question

Mad Libs are games where one player asks a group to supply random words (e.g. “Give me a verb,” or, “I need a color”). The words are substituted into blanks within a story, which is then read for everyone’s amusement.

Refactor the following code to replace the awkward string concatenation with a template literal. Be sure to add your own choices for the variables!

Feel free to use either .format() or an f-string.

# Refactor the string concatenation to use either .format() or an f-string instead.
plural_noun = ''
name = ''
verb = ''
adjective = ''
color = ''

mad_lib = "Python provides a "+ color +" collection of tools — including " + adjective + " syntax and " + plural_noun + " — that allows "+ name +" to "+ verb +" with strings."

print(mad_lib)

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