What is the string that starts with U in Python?

A string that starts with the letter “U” (uppercase) is a Unicode string literal. In Python 2.x, you would use a “u” prefix before a string to indicate that it’s a Unicode string, like this:

unicode_string = u"This is a Unicode string."Code language: Python (python)

However, in Python 3.x, all strings are Unicode by default, so you don’t need the “u” prefix. You can simply define a string like this:

unicode_string = "This is a Unicode string."Code language: Python (python)

Python 3.x handles Unicode text more consistently and efficiently compared to Python 2.x, where you had to distinguish between Unicode strings and regular ASCII strings using the “u” prefix.

unicode – Python string prints as [u’String’]


In Python 2.x, strings with a “u” prefix, like u'String', are Unicode strings. When you print a Unicode string, it is displayed with the “u” prefix to indicate that it’s a Unicode string.

However, in Python 3.x, all strings are Unicode by default, so you won’t see the “u” prefix when printing a string. If you’re using Python 3.x and you see [u'String'] when printing a string, it might be due to some specific code or situation where a Python 2.x-style string is being used or a list containing the string is being printed.

To get rid of the “u” prefix when printing a string in Python 2.x, you can encode the Unicode string as a regular ASCII string using a specific encoding, like this:

unicode_string = u'String'
ascii_string = unicode_string.encode('utf-8')
print(ascii_string)Code language: Python (python)

In Python 3.x, you don’t need to do this because all strings are Unicode by default. If you’re still encountering this issue in Python 3.x, there might be some specific code or data manipulation causing it.

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  • Muhammad Nabil

    I am a skilled and experienced Python developer with a huge passion for programming and a keen eye for details. I earned a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering in 2019 from the Modern Academy for Engineering and Technology. I am passionate about helping programmers write better Python code, and I am confident that I can make a significant contribution to any team. I am also a creative thinker who can come up with new and innovative ways to improve the efficiency and readability of code. My specialization includes Python, Django, SQL, Apache NiFi, Apache Hadoop, AWS, and Linux (CentOS and Ubuntu). Besides my passion for Python, I am a solo traveler who loves Pink Floyd, online video games, and Italian pizza.

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