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Python has several ways to create a string, and each one fits a different job. Use a quoted literal for fixed text, a triple-quoted literal for multiline text, an f-string when values belong inside the text, str() to convert a single object, + for a simple runtime combination, and ''.join(parts) or io.StringIO when you are assembling many fragments. The sections below explain each option, when it fits, and where it breaks.
Choosing a method at a glance
Most choices come down to four questions: is the text fixed or does it include runtime values, does it span lines or contain backslashes, are you combining two pieces or many, and which Python version does your code need to run on. The table compares the main approaches on those points.
| Approach | Fixed or runtime | Multiline | Best for | Version requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Quoted literal ('...' or "...") |
Fixed | No, single line | Short constant text | Any Python 3 |
Triple-quoted literal ("""...""") |
Fixed | Yes | Blocks of text, help messages, SQL or templates | Any Python 3 |
Raw literal (r"...") |
Fixed | Possible with triple quotes | Regular expressions, Windows paths | Any Python 3 |
| Adjacent literals | Fixed, joined in source code | Yes, when split across lines in parentheses | Long constant text split for readability | Any Python 3 |
+ operator |
Runtime | Only if the operands contain newlines | Combining two or three values | Any Python 3 |
f-string (f"...") |
Runtime | Yes, with triple quotes | Embedding values and expressions in text | Python 3.6 and later |
str.format() |
Runtime | Yes | Templates stored as strings and filled later | Any Python 3 |
str() |
Runtime | Not applicable | Converting one object to text | Any Python 3 |
str.join() |
Runtime | Depends on separator | Joining a list or other iterable of strings | Any Python 3 |
io.StringIO |
Runtime | Yes | Writing many pieces incrementally | Any Python 3 |
Literals: fixed text in source code
A string literal is text written directly in your source file. Python treats single quotes, double quotes, and triple quotes as equivalent ways to create a str value, and the language reference covers the full literal rules in the Python 3.14 lexical analysis reference.
Single and double quotes
Either quote style works. Pick one that matches the surrounding code, and use the other one when the text itself contains a quote, so you avoid escaping:
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single = 'Hello'
double = "Hello"
quoted = "It's ready"Triple-quoted multiline literals
Triple quotes allow line breaks inside the literal, and the newlines and indentation between the delimiters become part of the value:
message = """First line
Second line"""If you want the text to start after the opening delimiter without the first newline, put a backslash directly before that line break. The backslash removes the newline from the value, which makes the first line of the literal line up with the code around it.
Raw literals
A raw string, written with an r prefix, leaves backslashes as written instead of interpreting escape sequences such as n. This is most useful for regular expressions:
pattern = r"d{4}-d{2}-d{2}"Raw strings still follow the quoting rules. A raw string cannot end with an odd number of backslashes, because the final backslash would escape the closing quote.
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Adjacent literals, +, and *
These three operations combine text before or while your program runs. They look similar but work at different levels, so it helps to know which one is happening.
Adjacent literals are joined by the parser
Two or more string literals placed next to each other are concatenated during parsing. This is a source-code feature, not a runtime operation, and it is the cleanest way to split a long constant across lines:
message = (
"Put several strings within parentheses "
"to make a long literal easier to read."
)Adjacency works only for literals. A variable next to a literal does not join with it, so name "is here" is a syntax error. Literal adjacency also cannot mix bytes and str literals.
The + operator
The + operator joins two strings at runtime. It works well for a small, fixed number of pieces:
language = "Py" + "thon"
label = "Status: " + statusFor many pieces, especially inside a loop, + creates a new string on each step. The built-in types reference points to str.join() and io.StringIO for building text from many fragments, covered in the section on joining below.
The * operator
The * operator repeats a string. It is useful for fixed patterns such as separators:
repeated = "ha" * 3
divider = "-" * 40Building text from values
When a string contains values computed at runtime, you have three main tools: f-strings, str.format(), and str(). F-strings are usually the most readable choice for new code.
F-strings
An f-string is a string literal with an f prefix. Expressions inside braces are evaluated and inserted into the text:
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count = 3
message = f"{name} wrote {count} examples"A format specification after a colon controls how a value is displayed. Here, .3f formats a float with three decimal places:
import math
message = f"pi is about {math.pi:.3f}"The Python 3.13 tutorial on input and output demonstrates expression fields and numeric precision formatting with this syntax.
Adding = after an expression prints both the expression text and its value, which is handy while debugging: f"{count=}" produces count=3. This debug specifier was added in Python 3.8.
str.format() and format()
The str.format() method uses placeholders in a template and fills them with arguments. It is the better choice when the template is stored somewhere and filled in later, such as a configuration file or a translation catalog:
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message = template.format("Ada", 3)
price = format(12.5, ".2f")The format specification mini-language used by str.format() and the built-in format() function is shared across these interfaces. The exact options depend on the type being formatted.
Converting one object with str()
str(object) returns a text representation of an object. It is the direct way to turn a number or other value into text before combining it:
count = 3
label = "count=" + str(count)Bytes need care. Calling str() on a bytes object does not decode it. It returns the printed form of the bytes, so str(b"hi") gives "b'hi'". To decode bytes into text, pass an encoding, and optionally an error policy: str(data, "utf-8") or data.decode("utf-8"). Choose the encoding that matches the source of the bytes.
Joining many fragments
When you have a list of pieces, build the result in one step instead of repeatedly adding strings together. The built-in types reference names str.join() and io.StringIO as ways to construct strings from multiple fragments, documented in the Python 3.12 built-in types reference.
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Call join() on the separator you want between the pieces:
parts = ["red", "green", "blue"]
colors = ", ".join(parts) # "red, green, blue"
joined = "".join(parts) # "redgreenblue"All items must already be strings. A list containing numbers raises a TypeError until you convert each item, for example with ", ".join(str(n) for n in numbers).
Writing incrementally with io.StringIO
When the pieces arrive one at a time, or you want to write to a buffer the same way you would write to a file, use StringIO:
from io import StringIO
buffer = StringIO()
for part in parts:
buffer.write(part)
result = buffer.getvalue()Python strings are immutable, so each concatenation creates a new object. The documentation does not give a size threshold where one method becomes faster, so choose join() or StringIO for the pattern they express: a complete list of pieces, or a stream of writes.
Version and compatibility notes
Several string features depend on the Python version. The Python 3.14 lexical reference records these milestones:
- F-strings were added in Python 3.6.
- The debug specifier (
{value=}) was added in Python 3.8. - Many earlier restrictions on expressions inside f-strings were removed in Python 3.12.
- Template string literals (
t"...") were added in Python 3.14.
If your code must run on Python 3.5 or older, avoid f-strings entirely. If it must run on Python 3.6 through 3.11, avoid reusing the same quote type inside an f-string expression, which the older parser rejects:
# Fails before Python 3.12
data = {"key": "value"}
print(f"{data["key"]}")
# Works in every version that supports f-strings
print(f"{data['key']}")Template strings (t"...") return a template object rather than a str, so do not use them in code that must run on releases earlier than 3.14.
Common mistakes
- Concatenating numbers with
+."count=" + 3raises aTypeError. Use an f-string orstr(3). - Expecting adjacency to work with variables. Only literals join at parse time. Use
+or an f-string for variables. - Mixing bytes and text. A
b"..."literal createsbytes, notstr. Decode it before combining it with text. - Building large strings with repeated
+=in a loop. Collect the pieces in a list and calljoin(), or write to aStringIObuffer.
Which method should you use?
For fixed text, write a literal, using triple quotes when it spans lines. For text that includes values, use an f-string if your Python version supports it, and str.format() when the template must be defined separately from the data. Use str() to convert a single object, + for a short runtime combination, and join() or StringIO when assembling many pieces.
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For reference material, the Python 3.14 expressions reference covers how concatenation and f-string expressions are evaluated.
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