How to Take Integer Input in Python

Introduction

In this post, we will explore how to take integer input in Python. The built-in input() function always returns a string, so we need to convert these inputs into integers using the int() function.

Examples of Taking Integer Input

Example 1: Basic Integer Input

In this example, we will demonstrate how to take a single integer input and confirm its type.

# Take input from the user
input_value = input("Enter a number: ")

# Print the data type
print("Data type before conversion:", type(input_value))

# Type cast into integer
input_value = int(input_value)

# Print the data type after conversion
print("Data type after conversion:", type(input_value))
        

Output:

Enter a number: 42
Data type before conversion: 
Data type after conversion: 

Example 2: Taking Multiple Inputs

This example shows how to take multiple integer inputs in an array.

# Take multiple inputs in an array
input_array = input("Enter numbers separated by spaces: ").split()

print("String array:", input_array)

# Convert to integer array
int_array = [int(x) for x in input_array]

print("Integer array:", int_array)
        

Output:

Enter numbers separated by spaces: 5 10 15
String array: ['5', '10', '15']
Integer array: [5, 10, 15]

Example 3: Using Map to Store Integers

In this example, we will use the map() function to convert inputs directly into a list of integers.

# Input size of the list
size = int(input("Enter the size of the list: "))

# Store integers in a list using map
integer_list = list(map(int, input("Enter the integers (space-separated): ").strip().split()))[:size]

print('The list of integers is:', integer_list)
        

Output:

Enter the size of the list: 3
Enter the integers (space-separated): 4 8 12 16
The list of integers is: [4, 8, 12]

Conclusion

Taking integer input in Python is straightforward using the input() function followed by type casting with int(). You can also handle multiple inputs efficiently with techniques like list comprehensions and the map() function. Properly validating inputs ensures that your program can handle unexpected user input gracefully.