Python ascii() function with example

Python ascii() function is Python built-in function.  ascii() function returns the object after converting all the non-ascii characters in some printable text in that object.

Syntax of ascii() function

ascii(object_name)

• ascii is the function name.
• object_name  is that object on which ascii function has to apply.
• ascii function will return the object in a printable state in which all the non-ascii characters are converted to printed values e.g. something like  \t\xa3.

Example of Python ascii function

Let’s understand Python ascii() function by taking few examples.

Example

#Python ascii() function

str="hi pound:£"

print(ascii(str))

Output

'hi pound:\xa3'

Explanation

• Here str is the String containing the pound sign (£) as non-ascii character.
• when we apply ascii function on str, it converts the pound sign (£) to some text \xa3

Python ascii function has assigned each non-ascii character to some value, as we saw Python assign pound (£) to \xa3 . below are some outputs of non-ascii characters when we apply ascii function to them

#Python ascii() function

p="£"
y="¥"
e="€"
c="©"
r="®"
tm="™"

print(ascii(p))
print(ascii(y))
print(ascii(e))
print(ascii(c))
print(ascii(r))
print(ascii(tm))

Output

'\xa3'
'\xa5'
'\u20ac'
'\xa9'
'\xae'
'\u2122'

Explanation

As shown above, Python converts all above non-ascii characters to some printable text.

In nutshell, ascii function converts the non-ascii characters to some printed readable text.

Some non-ascii characters

Below are few non-ascii characters, you can try to apply ascii function on these: