How to add a string inside an f-string while formatting it in Python?

Question

I was padding an output in a print statement with a simple code which uses .format() function

print('{:-<100}'.format('xyz'))

I was able to get a similar output using f-strings by creating a new variable

library = 'xyz' 
print(f'{library:-<100}')

Question: Is there a way to add the string 'xyz' inside the f-string without having to create a new variable?

I tried the code below, but it gave me an error:

print(f'xyz:-<100')

If you have just a single literal string, I would just use print('xyz'.ljust(100, '-')). (It's actually faster than the corresponding f-string.) (Not that I'd care much either way, but it nips the "f-strings are faster" argument against it.) — chepner
– chepner, Commented Mar 28, 2022 at 14:09

ale · Accepted Answer · 2022-03-28 14:06:31Z

2

If I understand your question right, then:

You can just use double-qouted string inside single-quoted f-string

print(f'{"xyz":-<100}')

and optional without f-string and format

print("xyz".ljust(100, "-"))

answered Mar 28, 2022 at 14:06

ale

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Xiddoc · Accepted Answer · 2022-03-28 14:01:40Z

1

If I'm not mistaken, what you want to do is:

print(f"{'xyz':-<100}")  # You can use expressions here, not only variables!

PS: Regarding the error, are you sure you are running Python +3.6?

answered Mar 28, 2022 at 14:01

Xiddoc

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4 Comments

chepner Over a year ago

The error is presumably a NameError for the undefined name xyz; the OP is already successfully using an f-string with a variable.

Xiddoc Over a year ago

@chepner there are no {} surrounding the expression within the f-string, though, so there is no reason his code should throw an error. I ran it myself in both Python 3 and Python 2, and it only gave an error in 2.

chepner Over a year ago

I'm assuming a typo in the question, rather than a problem in the actual code.

Rishabh Bhatt Over a year ago

thanks @Xiddoc the double quotes inside the single quotes / single quotes inside the double quotes does the trick for me. FYI : 'xyz' is a random string literal and not a variable. Apologies if the quesiton had a typo.

Gai Ashkenazy · Accepted Answer · 2022-03-28 14:08:41Z

0

Yes, there is a way to add the string ('xyz') inside the fstring without having to create a new variable.

Just add the string 'xyz' outside of the curly brackets '{}'

Example: print(f'xyz{:-<100}')

answered Mar 28, 2022 at 14:08

Gai Ashkenazy

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1 Comment

Dhruv Over a year ago

This gives error, SyntaxError: f-string: valid expression required before ':'. Are you sure this works?

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