Imagine walking into a library where every book has no label. You’d spend hours opening each book just to figure out what it contains. That’s exactly what programming without variables feels like — chaotic and frustrating.
Variables in Python act like neat labels on those books. They give meaning to your data, make code readable, and help you avoid confusion. Whether you’re a beginner exploring Python for the first time or a developer polishing coding habits, understanding how variables really work is essential. Let’s break it down in a way that’s simple, practical, and directly useful.
What Are Variables in Python?
Think of variables as nicknames for data. Instead of remembering “3.14159,” you just say pi
. In Python, variables are more than storage — they are references pointing to objects in memory.
Example:
Pythonpi = 3.14159
radius = 5
area = pi * radius * radius
print(area)
Here, pi
, radius
, and area
are variables. Instead of repeating values, we use these names to make code meaningful.
Rules for Naming Variables
Python is flexible, but it still has rules to keep your code organized. Breaking them can cause errors or, worse, unreadable…