In Python, comments are used to explain the code and make it more understandable. They are not executed by the interpreter. There are two types of comments in Python:
1. Single-line Comments
Single-line comments are created by placing a # symbol before the comment text. Everything after the # on that line will be considered a comment.
# This is a single-line comment
print("Hello, World!") # This is also a comment after code
2. Multi-line Comments (Block Comments)
Python doesn’t have a specific syntax for multi-line comments, but you can use multiple single-line comments or a string (triple quotes) that isn’t assigned to a variable. The triple quote method is often used for docstrings (documentation strings), but it can also be used as a multi-line comment in some cases.
Using Multiple Single-Line Comments:
# This is a comment
# that spans multiple lines
# in the code
Using Triple Quotes for Multi-line Comments:
'''
This is a multi-line comment
using triple single quotes.
It can span across multiple lines.
'''
"""
This is a multi-line comment
using triple double quotes.
It also spans across multiple lines.
"""
Docstrings
While not technically “comments,” docstrings are often used to describe functions, classes, or modules. They are written inside triple quotes and can span multiple lines. Docstrings are used by documentation generation tools, and they can be accessed through the help() function.
Example of a function with a docstring:
def greet(name):
"""
This function takes a name as input
and prints a greeting message.
"""
print(f"Hello, {name}!")
In general, comments are important for code readability and maintenance.