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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:

 

®
§ ° ·
±
× ÷ ¼
½f ¾ μ
π