← VCE Data Analysis

Text data: character and string

Text made of a sequence of characters (single letters, digits or symbols), written in quotes, like 'Sam' or '0412345678'. Phone numbers are strings.

Part of: VCE Applied Computing - U1O1 - Data analysis — Module 16, VCE Software Development - U3O1 - Programming — Module 15, VCE Data Analytics - U3O1 - Data Analytics — Module 8, VCE Data Analytics - U3O2 - Analysis and Design — Module 44, VCE Applied Computing U1O2 Programming: Python basics and data types — Module 5, IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 9 Databases — Module 3, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Acquiring and Storing Data — Module 37, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Structured Data and Queries — Module 10, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Acquiring and Validating Data — Module 12, QCE Digital Solutions Unit 2 — Data-Driven Problems and Solution Requirements — Module 42, QCE Digital Solutions Unit 2 — Data and Programming Techniques — Module 29, WA Computer Science ATAR Year 11 — Data Management — Module 2

Understanding Text data: character and string in VCE Data Analysis

What it does: Phone numbers are identifiers, not values you do sums with. Storing them as text in quotes keeps the leading 0. A character can be a letter, a digit or a symbol. The # is one symbol, so it is a single character. A string is a sequence of characters stored as text. 'Sam' has three characters, so it is a string. A lone S is just one character. Quotes show that the digits are stored as text. Without quotes, 2025 is a number. An integer would remove the leading 0 and give 800. A string keeps all four characters exactly as written.

Common mistakes: A phone number is a string, so it must be in quotes: phone = "0412345678". Without quotes it is treated as a number and the leading 0 is lost. The string is missing its closing quote. It should be mobile = "0412 345 678".

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 15–24) and word search (Modules 3–24).

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Learning
Duo
Which one is a single character?
'Ace''A'
Matches
phone = 0412345678
↓
The phone number has no quotes, so it is treated as a number and the leading zero is lost. It should be '0412345678'.
Applying
Meanings
Term
string
Meaning
Text made of a sequence of characters (single letters, digits or symbols), written in quotes, like 'Sam' or '0412345678'. Phone numbers are strings.
Practice
initial = 'S'
Testing
Gaps
Data type:
Check Answer
Spots
2initial = "S"
3phone = 0412345678

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Quick Questions

1. Which one is a single character?
A. 'Ace'
B. 'A' ✓
A character is one letter, digit or symbol. 'A' is one character, while 'Ace' is a string made of three characters.
2. Which one is a string?
A. S
B. 'Sam' ✓
A string is a sequence of characters stored as text. 'Sam' has three characters, so it is a string. A lone S is just one character.
3. How should a phone number such as 0412 345 678 be stored?
A. As a string, '0412345678' ✓
B. As a number, 412345678
Phone numbers are identifiers, not values we do maths on. Storing them as numbers drops the leading 0, so we store them as strings.
4. Which value is text data (a string)?
A. '2025' ✓
B. 2025
Quotes show that the digits are stored as text. Without quotes, 2025 is a number.
5. True or false: the digit '7' in quotes is a character, not a number.
A. True ✓
B. False
In quotes, '7' is the character for the digit 7, stored as text. You cannot reliably do maths with it until it is converted to a number.

Match the Pairs

'A' → A single character (one letter) written in quotes
'Sam Lee' → A string: a sequence of characters, including a space, stored as text
A phone number is stored as a string so the leading zero is kept → '0412345678'
A single symbol is a character, even though it is not a letter → '#'
phone = 0412345678 → The phone number has no quotes, so it is treated as a number and the leading zero is lost. It should be '0412345678'.
name = Sam → The text has no quotes, so it is not recognised as a string. It should be 'Sam'.

Key Term

string
Text made of a sequence of characters (single letters, digits or symbols), written in quotes, like 'Sam' or '0412345678'. Phone numbers are strings.

Fill in the Blanks

1. Field: Phone Data type: Text
Hint: Type the data type used to store a phone number, which is not used for calculations.
2. phone = "0412345678" print(phone)
Hint: Type the variable name that holds the phone number text, matching the name printed on the next line.
3. print(len("0412345678"))
Hint: Type the function name that counts how many characters are in a string.
4. Initial: Character Name: String
Hint: Type the data type for a sequence of characters, like a whole name.
5. print("04" + "12")
Hint: Type the operator that joins two pieces of text together instead of adding numbers.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A name = "Sam"
B initial = "S"
C phone = 0412345678
D print(phone)
Line C — A phone number is a string, so it must be in quotes: phone = "0412345678". Without quotes it is treated as a number and the leading 0 is lost.
Question 2
A mobile = "0412 345 678
B print(mobile)
C print(len(mobile))
Line A — The string is missing its closing quote. It should be mobile = "0412 345 678".
Question 3
A letter = "B"
B word = Bandicoot
C print(letter)
D print(word)
Line B — Text must be written inside quotes. Without them Bandicoot is read as a variable name. It should be word = "Bandicoot".
Question 4
A first = "Alex"
B last = "Nguyen"
C space = " "
D full = first - space - last
E print(full)
Line D — Strings are joined (concatenated) with +, not -. It should be full = first + space + last.
Question 5
A a = "7"
B b = "5"
C c = a + b
D print("c")
Line D — Quotes make "c" a string, so the letter c would be printed. To show the joined text "75" stored in the variable, use print(c).

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