Predefined Functions

Random

The code to produce a random number needs to be imported before it can be used.

The code can be used to produce a random integer, with the lowest and highest possible values specified.

# Get extra code
import random

# Pick a random integer
myDice = random.randint(1, 6)

# Display value
print(myDice)

Round

Decimal Places

The round function works with floating point values (decimals). It returns (produces) a value that is rounded to a specified number of decimal places

# Initialise variable
myReal = 3.14159265359

# Round to 2 decimal places
myRound = round(myReal, 2)

print(myRound)

Whole number

Note: Python does not always round up when a value has 5 tenths. Instead it rounds to the nearest even number!

The round function can also be used to return a value without any decimal places (integer).

The following example will return a value of 4.

# Initialise variable
myReal= 3.5

# Round to zero decimal places
myRound = round(myReal)

# Display result
print(myRound)

The following example will also return a value of 4.

# Initialise variable
myReal= 4.5

# Round to zero decimal places
myRound = round(myReal)

# Display result
print(myRound)

Length

The length function works with strings and arrays. It returns a number of characters in a string or the number of elements in an array.

String

# Initialise variable
myString = "Computing"

# Get number of characters in string
myLength = len(myString)

# Display result
print(myLength)

Array

# Initialise variable
myArrayOfIntegers = [56, 34, 2, 85, 51]

# Get number of elements in array
myLength = len(myArrayOfIntegers)

# Display result
print(myLength)