Selecting Specific Parts of a String Using Indexing

Indexing is a process to specify the position or order to access a specific element within a data structure.

To select or access a specific part of a string, use the indexing operator, [number]. Indexing allows you to extract specific characters from a string.

String indexing uses square brackets ([]) with an index number. In Python, indices start at 0.

Copy
word = "Programming"

first_letter = word[0]  # 1st character 'P'

third_letter = word[2]  # 3rd character 'o'

Spaces are also recognized as part of a string and can be accessed through indexing.

Copy
word = "Programming Language"

word[11]  # 12th character ' ' (space)

In Python, you can use negative indices to access elements from the end of a string.

The index -1 represents the last character of the string.

Copy
word = "Programming"

last_letter = word[-1]  # Last character 'g'

second_last = word[-2]  # Second to last character 'n'

String indexing is used when you need to utilize the value of a specific part of a string.

For example, it can be used to check specific characters or set conditions based on them within a string.

Copy
# Example of Checking a Specific Character
word = "Programming"

if word[0] == 'P':  # Check if the first character of the string in the word variable is 'P'
    print("The string starts with 'P'.")  # Execute if the condition is true