How To Properly Use Python String StartsWith Method [Detailed Python Guide]

In this tutorial, we’ll learn what Python string startswith() method is and how to properly use it. We’ll go through multiple Python code examples to understand how startswith method works.

Outline

1. Introduction: Python String startswith() Method
2. Syntax of startswith() Method
3. Example 1: startswith() Method applied on a Python String
4. Example 2: startswith() Method with Specified Range
5. Example 3: Python String startswith() Method Return Value
6. Conclusion

Introduction: Python String startswith() Method

This method returns True if a string starts with a specified substring and returns False, if not.

Syntax of startswith() Method

string.startswith(substring, startingPoint(optional), endingPoint(optional))

• Python string startswith method takes three arguments.
• First argument is the substring for which the string is checked that whether it starts from that substring or not.
• Second argument is optional. It’s used to specify the starting point of search. The starting point of string can be customized using it.
• Third argument is also optional. Its used to specify the ending point of search. We can limit the search range by specifying the starting and ending point.
• Python string startswith method return True if the string starts with specified substring, or else it returns False.

Example 1: startswith() Method applied on a Python String

print('This is Python'.startswith('Python'))
print('This is Python'.startswith('This'))
print(' Python Programming Language'.startswith('Python')) 
print('Python Programming'.startswith('python'))

Output

False 
True 
False
False

• In example 1, the string does not starts with the specified substring so it returns False.
• In example 2, the string starts with the specified substring so it returns True.
• In example 3, the string has whitespace before substring(Python) which substring passed to startswith method don’t have, so it returns False.
• In example 4, we can see that Python string startswith method is case sensitive(P and p are different).

Example 2: startswith() Method with Specified Range

print('This is Python'.startswith('Python'))
print('This is Python'.startswith('Python',8))

Output

False
True

As we can see that both the strings are same. But in second example, we’ve specified a starting point which means the string will start from that specific point/index. As a result, it returns True because we’ve used the index 8 from which substring(Python) starts.

We can also specify an ending point. See below example:

print('Python Programming Language.'.startswith('Python',4,10))

Output

False

This is how Python string startswith method works. You can try it with even more examples to better understand the working of this method.

Example 3: Python String startswith() Method Return Value

print('Python Programming Language.'.startswith('Python', 0, 10))

Output

True

We can see that Python string startswith method has returned True as the string starts with specified substring.

Conclusion

To conclude this tutorial, hope you now have a detailed practical understanding of how to properly use Python string startswith method. I’d be very happy to receive your feedback on this post. Thank you for reading it.

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