Lesson 7
Text: joining and repeating
After this lesson: You'll join text with a plus and repeat it with a star - and draw a tree, stairs and a frame that way.
Video
The video for this lesson is coming soon.
Explanation
You can already add and multiply numbers. Today you'll see something surprising: the + and * signs work on text too! 🎉
Joining text: +
A plus between two pieces of text joins them into one - like two blocks: "foot" + "ball" is "football".
Careful: Python doesn't add a space by itself. If you want a space, you have to type it: "Ala" + " " + "Ola" is "Ala Ola".
Joining two blocks 🧱
Joining in a program
The second line has no space, in the third one we typed it ourselves.
The text is in the variable now. Every print shows a different trick with text.
1print("foot" + "ball")2print("Ala" + "Ola")3print("Ala" + " " + "Ola")
▍Repeating text: *
A star between text and a number repeats the text as many times as the number says: "la" * 3 is "lalala".
It's a great way to make patterns, frames and pictures - instead of typing 20 dashes, you write "-" * 20.
Repeating text
Patterns and laughter
The text is in the variable now. Every print shows a different trick with text.
1print("ha" * 3)2print("=" * 7)3print("*" * 5, "*" * 3)
▍What does the program print?
print("3" * 4)
💡 Fun fact: text and numbers don't mix
Two pieces of text can be joined and two numbers can be added - but you can't add text and a number: "5" + 1 is an error. 🙅 Python doesn't know whether you mean 6 or "51" - so it doesn't guess at all, it stops the program. You'll learn more about errors in lesson 13.
Text plus a number = an error
Two numbers add up, two pieces of text get joined - but Python can't add text and a number. Watch what happens on the last line.
The text is in the variable now. Every print shows a different trick with text.
1print(5 + 1)2print("5" + "1")3print("5" + 1)
▍What does the program print?
print(2 * 5, "2 * 5")
Remember the Christmas tree from lesson 1? With text multiplication we can build it much faster! 🎄
A tree made by multiplying 🎄
" " * 4 is four spaces, "*" * 3 is three stars. Plus joins them into one line.
Click the arrow - every print draws one more line of the picture.
1print(" " * 4 + "*" * 1)2print(" " * 3 + "*" * 3)3print(" " * 2 + "*" * 5)4print(" " * 1 + "*" * 7)5print("*" * 9)6print(" " * 3 + "| |")
▍One branch step by step
Stairs
Click the arrow - every print draws one more line of the picture.
1print("#")2print("#" * 2)3print("#" * 3)4print("#" * 4)5print("#" * 5)
▍A chessboard ♟️
Click the arrow - every print draws one more line of the picture.
1print("#." * 4)2print(".#" * 4)3print("#." * 4)4print(".#" * 4)
▍Boom boom!
Multiplication first, then addition - just like in maths.
An arrow made of dashes
A frame made by multiplying 🖼️
The top and bottom are dashes times 10, and the middle is spaces times 8 between two walls.
Click the arrow - every print draws one more line of the picture.
1print("-" * 10)2print("|" + " " * 8 + "|")3print("|" + " " * 8 + "|")4print("-" * 10)
▍Remember
+between pieces of text joins them into one (with no extra space).*text times a number repeats the text:"ha" * 3ishahaha.- You can't add text and a number:
"5" + 1is an error.
Well done! Now draw some pictures with text multiplication in the tasks. 🎨
Tasks from the video
We solve them together in the video - pause it and try first on your own.
Practice tasks
Try to solve them without the video. Stuck? Every task has hints and an editorial.
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