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Python

new_item = input("> ") For this line, what does the > symbol do? Thanks

Is it necessary?

2 Answers

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
243,656 Points

:point_right: That's what it will show to the user to let them know it is ready for them to type something. It's known as a "prompt".

Sometimes programs ask questions for a prompt, like:

  user = input("What is your name? ")

The prompt is optional (from the standpoint of the input function), but it may be confusing to the user if the program requires input without showing anything.

Ohhhh okay so its just a string. Thank you