Swapping Two Variables in Python

The following example demonstrates how to swap the values of two variables entered by the user.

Example 1: Using a Temporary Variable

# User input
x = input('Enter the value of x: ')
y = input('Enter the value of y: ')

# Create a temporary variable and swap
temp = x
x = y
y = temp

print('After swapping, the value of x is: {}'.format(x))
print('After swapping, the value of y is: {}'.format(y))

Output:

Enter the value of x: 2
Enter the value of y: 3
After swapping, the value of x is: 3
After swapping, the value of y is: 2

In this example, a temporary variable temp is used to store the value of x. The value of y is then assigned to x, and the value of temp is assigned to y, effectively swapping the two values.

Swapping Without a Temporary Variable

We can also swap variables without using a temporary variable, using a more elegant method in Python.

# User input
x = input('Enter the value of x: ')
y = input('Enter the value of y: ')

# Swap without using a temporary variable
x, y = y, x

print('After swapping, the value of x is: {}'.format(x))
print('After swapping, the value of y is: {}'.format(y))

Output:

Enter the value of x: 1
Enter the value of y: 2
After swapping, the value of x is: 2
After swapping, the value of y is: 1

In this version, we use Python’s multiple assignment feature, which allows us to swap the values of x and y in one line: x, y = y, x. This eliminates the need for a temporary variable.