String formatting in Python means inserting variables, numbers, or expressions inside a string in a clean and organized way. It is useful when we want to display dynamic data, such as user names, marks, prices, etc., inside sentences.

1. % Operator Formatting

This is the oldest method of formatting. We use special symbols like %s, %d, %f etc., where:

Syntax:

"text %s here" % (value)

Example:

name = "Devanshi"
platform = "ShikshaSanchar"
print("Welcome %s to %s!" % (name, platform))

2. format() Method

This method inserts values into curly brackets {}. It's more readable and flexible than % operator.

Syntax:

"{}".format(value)

Example:

name = "Simran"
role = "Educator"
print("Hello {}, you are a {} at ShikshaSanchar.".format(name, role))

3. f-Strings (Formatted String Literals)

f-Strings are the most modern and clean way to format strings (available from Python 3.6+). We just write f before the string and insert variables inside {}.

Syntax:

f"text {variable}"

Example:

subject = "Python"
chapter = 6
print(f"Chapter {chapter} of {subject} is live on ShikshaSanchar!")

Expression Inside f-strings:

You can also write expressions or calculations directly inside {} in f-strings. This makes it very powerful and reduces extra code.

Example:

a = 10
b = 5
print(f"The sum of {a} and {b} is {a + b}.")

1. Positional and Keyword Formatting with format()

The format() method in Python allows us to insert values into a string using:

• Positional Formatting: A type of string formatting where placeholders like {0}, {1}, {2} are used inside the string. The values are inserted based on their position in the format() method.
  Example:
• Keyword Formatting (Named Indexing): A type of formatting where placeholders like {name}, {course} are used and values are passed using keyword arguments. It improves clarity and is useful when the string has many values.
  Example:

Example using Positional Formatting:

msg = "Welcome {0} to {1}! You have enrolled in {2} course."
print(msg.format("Angel", "ShikshaSanchar", "Python"))

Example using Keyword Formatting:

msg = "{user}, you have successfully enrolled in the {course} course on {platform}."
print(msg.format(user="Mukesh", course="Web Development", platform="ShikshaSanchar"))

2. Formatting Numbers with format() or f-strings

Sometimes we want to show numbers in a clean and specific way — like rounding to 2 decimal places. Python allows this using format() or f-strings.

For example, on ShikshaSanchar, if a course costs 199.995, we want to show it as 200.00.

Using format() method:

price = 199.995
print("Price: {:.2f}".format(price))

Using f-string:

print(f"Price: {price:.2f}")

Summary: String Formatting Methods