2.7 The print() Function (BT101CO)

The simplest form of the print() function is:

print(value1, value2, ..., sep=' ', end='\n')

• Values: You can pass one or multiple items (strings, integers, etc.) separated by commas.
• Comma Separation: When you use a comma to separate multiple items, Python automatically adds a space between them.

Example:

name = "Ashok"
age = 25
print("Name:", name, "Age:", age)
# Output: Name: Ashok Age: 25

Python provides two special "keyword arguments" that allow you to control how the output is formatted.

The sep (Separator) Argument

By default, sep is a space (' '). You can change it to any string, such as a hyphen, a slash, or even a newline.

• print("12", "05", "2026", sep="-") $\rightarrow$ 12-05-2026

The end Argument

By default, print() adds a newline (\n) at the end of the output, meaning the next print() statement will start on a new line. You can change this to stay on the same line.

• print("Hello", end=" ")
• print("World") $\rightarrow$ Hello World (on one line)

Example: Custom Layouts

# Using 'sep' to create a date format
print("Date", "03", "31", "2026", sep="/") 
# Output: Date/03/31/2026

# Using 'end' to keep output on the same line (like a loading bar)
print("Loading", end="...")
print(" [||||||||||]", end=" ")
print("100% Complete")
# Output: Loading... [||||||||||] 100% Complete

You don't just have to print variables; you can perform calculations or logic directly inside the parentheses.

• print("Result:", 10 * 5 + 2) $\rightarrow$ Result: 52
• print("Is 10 > 5?", 10 > 5) $\rightarrow$ Is 10 > 5? True

While there are older ways to format strings (like % or .format()), modern Python uses f-strings (formatted string literals). They are highly readable and efficient.

Example:

price = 49.99
print(f"The total cost is ${price}")
# Output: The total cost is $49.99

To print special characters that are otherwise hard to type (like a tab or a quote), you use a backslash (\) followed by a specific character.

Escape Sequence	Result
\n	Newline (starts a new line)
\t	Horizontal Tab (adds space)
\'	Single Quote
\"	Double Quote
\\	Backslash