Could someone help me understand the input() function? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 3 months ago by EveryMuffinIsNowEncrypted@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/python@programming.dev

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I'm currently learning Python and am learning about very basic functions such as int(), float(), and input().

I have the first two down pat, but I'm struggling to understand the last. The example I'm looking at is found at 12:26 of this video:

nam = input('Who are you? ')
print('Welcome', nam)

Who are you? Chuck
Welcome Chuck

In this case, wouldn't nam be a variable equal to the text on the right side of the = sign?

In which case, if nam is equal to input('Who are you? '), then wouldn't print('Welcome', nam) just result in

Welcome input(Who are you? )?

Obviously not (nor does it work in a compiler), which leads me to believe I'm clearly misunderstanding something. But I've rewatched that section of the video several times, and looked it up elsewhere on the web, and I just can't wrap my head around it.

Could someone help me with this?

Thanks.

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[-] oscar@programming.dev 3 points 3 months ago

nam is assigned the value returned by input.

This is not some edge case behavior by the input function. This is always how function calls work. You can think of it like substituting input('Who are you? ') with the value returned by it, which is the string typed in by the user in this case.