How to Print a Line Break in Python

1. Use the Newline Character (`
2. Use a for Loop to Print a String With Line Breaks in Python
3. Use Triple-Quoted Strings to Print a Multiline Text With Line Breaks in Python
4. Conclusion

In a programming language, the next line is denoted by a newline character (\n). This character indicates that whatever text is present after it will be printed in the next line, and strings are filled with these newline characters to represent the next lines.

In Python, we can use this character to print text in the next lines or create line breaks. We’ll also discuss the other ways to print a string, text or elements with line breaks.

Use the Newline Character (`

`) to Print a String With Line Breaks in Python

The newline character (\n) in Python is used to create line breaks when printing strings. In the following code, we’ll see that each part of the string separated by \n appears on a new line, creating a visually separated and well-formatted output.

Code 1:

print("Welcome\nto\nDelftstack")

Output:

Welcome
to
Delftstack

In the code above, we use the print function to display the string "Welcome\nto\nDelftstack". The \n characters within the string serve as newline indicators, prompting a line break at each occurrence.

The output presents the text on separate lines.

We can also use Python’s print function, the sep parameter, to specify the separator between the values that are passed to the print function. By default, the sep parameter is set to a space character (' ').

However, you can customize it to use a different separator.

Code 2:

print("Welcome", "To", "Delftstack", sep="\n")

Output:

Welcome
To
Delftstack

In this code, we use the print function with the sep parameter set to \n (sep="\n"), enabling us to output the strings on individual lines. By customizing the separator to the newline character (\n), we achieve a neatly formatted output with each string appearing on its own line.

Use a for Loop to Print a String With Line Breaks in Python

We can utilize the for loop to print each character of a string with a line break. The for loop iterates through each character within the string variable, and the print(char) statement prints each character on a new line.

Note that the comma and exclamation marks are also printed on separate lines due to the loop iterating over each character.

Code 1:

my_string = "Delftstack"

for char in my_string:
    print(char)

Output:

D
e
l
f
t
s
t
a
c
k

In the code above, we initialize a string variable, my_string = "Delftstack". Subsequently, we employ a for loop to iterate through each character in the string.

Within the loop, we use the print function to output each character on a new line. We can see in the output that the characters of the string "Delftstack" are printed sequentially, with each character appearing on its own line.

In this next example, we use the for loop to iterate through the elements of the list a and print each element followed by a newline character. The end="\n" argument in the print function sets the end parameter to "\n", which means that each print statement will end with a newline character.

Code 2:

a = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

for x in a:
    print(x, end="\n")

Output:

1
2
3
4
5

In this code, we initialize a list, a = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Next, using a for loop, we iterate through each element in the list, and within the loop, we use the print function to display each element, denoted as x, on a new line.

The end="\n" parameter is set explicitly to ensure that each print statement concludes with a newline character, enhancing the clarity of the output. In the output, the numbers 1 through 5 are printed sequentially, each on its own line.

Use Triple-Quoted Strings to Print a Multiline Text With Line Breaks in Python

In Python, triple-quoted strings (either double-quoted """ or single-quoted ''') allow you to define multiline strings. The primary advantage is that line breaks and formatting within the string are preserved when the string is printed or used in code.

Code:

# Double-quoted string
print(
    """
Welcome
To
Delftstack
"""
)

# Single-quoted string
print(
    """
Lets
learn
Programming
"""
)

Output:

Welcome
To
Delftstack


Lets
learn
Programming

In this code, we use triple-quoted strings, both double-quoted (""") and single-quoted ('''), to create multiline strings. The first print statement outputs the text "Welcome To Delftstack" within double-quoted triple-quoted strings ("""), ensuring that each line break is preserved.

Similarly, the second print statement presents the text "Lets learn Programming" using single-quoted triple-quoted strings ('''). The triple-quoted strings allow us to maintain line breaks and formatting within the strings.

Conclusion

Python’s newline character (\n) and triple-quoted strings (""" or ''') offer efficient means for creating well-formatted multiline text.

The newline character (\n) simplifies the task of inserting line breaks within strings, enhancing readability. Additionally, triple-quoted strings (""" or ''') preserve line breaks and formatting, providing a versatile tool for multiline text representation.

Whether using a for loop or the print function with the sep parameter, Python offers a range of approaches to accommodate diverse programming scenarios, ensuring clear and visually appealing output.