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startswith, endswith

Learn prefix/suffix checks with startswith and endswith.

startswith and endswith

startswith checks whether a string begins with a substring. endswith checks whether it ends:

"hello.py".endswith(".py")   # True
"http://...".startswith("http")  # True

Both return bool. These methods are very common for file extension checks, URL protocol checks and similar tasks.

Multiple substrings can be given as a tuple; if any matches, True is returned.

Multiple checks

Multiple substrings can be given as a tuple:

name = "photo.jpg"
name.endswith((".jpg", ".png", ".gif"))  # True

This is very useful when checking multiple options like file extensions. Using a tuple is shorter than writing multiple or() conditions.

Similarly, startswith also accepts a tuple.

Practice Check with endswith

Assign "photo.jpg" to filename. Assign filename.endswith(".jpg") to is_image. Then print print(is_image).

Starter code

main.py
# Check with endswith

Sample solution

main.py
filename = "photo.jpg"
is_image = filename.endswith(".jpg")
print(is_image)

Expected output

True

Questions and answers

Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.

1 Complete the endswith call

Question 
is_py = "hello.py".____(".py")
Answer 
is_py = "hello.py".endswith(".py")

Explanation: endswith(".py") checks the ending.

2 What does "hello.py".endswith(".py") return?

  • False
  • True Correct answer
  • ".py"
  • Raises an error

Explanation: The string ends with ".py"; True is returned.

3 Match startswith and endswith

Term Meaning
startswith Start check
endswith End check
tuple Multiple options
bool Return type

All lessons in Beginner

1 Python basics

  1. What is Python?
  2. REPL and print
  3. Comments
  4. Indentation blocks
  5. python -c and scripts
  6. Summary - Python basics

2 Variables

  1. Variable assignment
  2. Multiple assignment
  3. Naming variables
  4. id and type
  5. Swapping variables
  6. Summary - Variables

3 Data types

  1. int and float
  2. bool
  3. str basics
  4. None
  5. Type conversion
  6. Summary - Data types

4 Project: Calculator

  1. Project design
  2. Add/subtract
  3. Multiply/divide
  4. Error handling
  5. Putting it together

5 Operators

  1. Arithmetic
  2. Comparison
  3. Logical
  4. Bitwise
  5. Membership and identity
  6. Summary - Operators

6 String basics

  1. f-string
  2. Concatenation
  3. str.format
  4. Raw strings
  5. Triple-quote
  6. Summary - String basics

7 Conditionals

  1. The if statement
  2. elif and else
  3. Nested if
  4. Truthiness
  5. Conditional expression
  6. Summary - Conditionals

8 Loops

  1. The for loop
  2. range
  3. The while loop
  4. break and continue
  5. Loop else
  6. Summary - Loops

9 Project: Shopping cart

  1. Cart design
  2. Adding items
  3. Calculating totals
  4. Updating quantity
  5. Putting it together

10 Lists

  1. Declaring lists
  2. Index and slice
  3. List methods
  4. in and count
  5. Sorting lists
  6. Summary - Lists

11 List comprehension

  1. Comprehension basics
  2. Filtered comprehension
  3. Dict and set comprehension
  4. Nested comprehension
  5. Generator expression
  6. Summary - List comprehension

12 Tuple, set and dict

  1. Tuple
  2. Set
  3. Dict basics
  4. Dict methods
  5. Dict comprehension
  6. Summary - Tuple, set and dict

13 Functions

  1. def
  2. return
  3. Docstring
  4. Default parameters
  5. *args and **kwargs
  6. Summary - Functions

14 Function parameters

  1. Positional parameters
  2. Keyword parameters
  3. Keyword-only
  4. Positional-only
  5. Type hints basics
  6. Summary - Function parameters

15 Project: To-do CLI

  1. Task model
  2. Adding tasks
  3. Listing tasks
  4. Completing tasks
  5. Putting it together

16 Advanced string methods

  1. split and join
  2. strip, lstrip, rstrip
  3. replace
  4. find and index
  5. startswith, endswith
  6. Summary - Advanced strings

17 Input and output

  1. input()
  2. int/float conversion
  3. print parameters
  4. f-string formatting
  5. sys.argv
  6. Summary - Input and output

18 Error handling

  1. try/except
  2. else and finally
  3. raise
  4. Exception hierarchy
  5. Custom exceptions
  6. Summary - Error handling

19 Modules

  1. import
  2. from import
  3. as alias
  4. __name__ == '__main__'
  5. Standard library
  6. Summary - Modules

20 Beginner final

  1. Project design
  2. Data model
  3. Business logic
  4. Error handling
  5. Putting it together