Why can't we change a particular value of a string in python

Question

The string in python behaves similar to list. Then why can't we change value using assignment operator.

Example:

name = 'whatever'

why can't we do assignment like name[0] = 'k'

If we need to make a change like this, how can we do that?

because strings are immutable, you need to rebuild the string like `name = 'k' + name[1:]` but use a list if you want a mutable structure — Chris_Rands, Jun 28 '18 at 08:33

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 28 '18 at 08:35

2

you could do something like this:

s = "abcde"     # create string
l = list(s)     # convert to list
l[2] = "X"      # modify character
"".join(l)      # join to string again

answered Jun 28 '18 at 08:35

Felix

butterfly_princess · Answer 2 · 2018-06-28T08:39:04.213

-1

A string in Python is immutable. You can use something like .replace() or iterate through the string and create a new one.

For example:

name = 'whatever'
name.replace("w", "k")

edited Jun 28 '18 at 08:39

answered Jun 28 '18 at 08:34

2

please add example to your answer to show the intended usage – Edwin van Mierlo Jun 28 '18 at 08:35
I added an example for .replace(). I understood the question as a more general one. I think the answer is the immutabilty of strings..? – butterfly_princess Jun 28 '18 at 10:07

2 Answers2