A variable in Python

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A variable in Python is a symbolic name that is a reference or pointer to an object. Once an object is assigned to a variable, you can refer to the object by that name. Variables in Python are created by assigning a value to a name; they don’t need to be declared explicitly. The variable is created the moment you first assign a value to it.

Example 1: Basic Variable Assignment

Let’s demonstrate a basic example of variable assignment and usage in Python:

# Assigning values to variables
my_number = 42
my_string = "Hello, world!"

# Using the variables
print(my_number)  # Output: 42
print(my_string)  # Output: Hello, world!

# Variables can be re-assigned to different values and types
my_number = "forty-two"
print(my_number)  # Output: forty-two

In this example, my_number is initially an integer with a value of 42. Later, my_number is reassigned a string value "forty-two". This demonstrates Python's dynamic typing, where you don't need to explicitly declare a variable's type.

Example 2: Variables as Pointers

Variables in Python act as pointers to objects rather than holding data themselves. This can be illustrated when working with mutable objects like lists:

original_list = [1, 2, 3]
new_list = original_list

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