
Learn Python - Python tutorial - interesting-facts-about-strings-python divide operator - Python examples - Python programs
Consider below statements in Python 2.7
# A Python 2.7 program to demonstrate use of
# "/" for integers
print 5/2
print -5/2
Output:
2 -3

First output is fine, but the second one may be surprising if we are coming Java/C++ world. In Python 2.7, the “/” operator works as a floor division for integer arguments. However, the operator / returns a float value if one of the arguments is a float (this is similar to C++)
python - Sample - python code :
# A Python 2.7 program to demonstrate use of
# "/" for floating point numbers
print 5.0/2
print -5.0/2
Output:
2.5 -2.5
The real floor division operator is “//”. It returns floor value for both integer and floating point arguments.
python - Sample - python code :
# A Python 2.7 program to demonstrate use of
# "//" for both integers and floating points
print 5//2
print -5//2
print 5.0//2
print -5.0//2
Output:
2 -3 2.0 -3.0
How about Python 3?
Here is another surprise, In Python 3, ‘/’ operator does floating point division for both int and float arguments.
python - Sample - python code :
# A Python 3 program to demonstrate use of # "/" for both integers and floating points print (5/2) print (-5/2) print (5.0/2) print (-5.0/2)
Output:
2.5 -2.5 2.5 -2.5