Python str vs byte: Understanding Unicode and Binary Data

In Python, a 'str' object represents a sequence of Unicode characters, while a 'byte' object represents a sequence of raw bytes.

The 'str' type is used to store and manipulate text, and supports various string operations such as concatenation, slicing, and formatting. It is encoded using Unicode, which allows it to represent characters from various writing systems and languages.

On the other hand, the 'byte' type is used to handle binary data, such as images, audio files, or network packets. It represents a sequence of bytes, where each byte can have a value from 0 to 255. Bytes are often used for low-level operations, such as reading and writing files in binary mode, or sending and receiving data over a network.

Python provides methods to convert between 'str' and 'byte' objects using different encodings, such as UTF-8, ASCII, or Latin-1. The 'encode()' method can be used to convert a 'str' to a 'byte' object, while the 'decode()' method can be used to convert a 'byte' object to a 'str'.