.zfill()

The .zfill() method pads a string with zeros on the left to maintain a specific length. It takes an integer argument, and the number of zeros added is determined by the difference between the specified length and the length of the original string.

Note: The .zfill() method does not change the string it is used on.

Syntax

result = string.zfill(total_length)

It creates a new string with leading zeros based on the specified integer argument, represented by total_length. The modified string is stored in the variable result.

Example

The following example shows how .zfill() returns a copy of the string with leading zeros.

first_string = "Codecademy"
second_string = "@Codecademy"
third_string = "cat"

print(first_string)
print(second_string)

# If the argument is less than/equal to string length, output will be the same string.
print(first_string.zfill(10))
print(second_string.zfill(10))

print(first_string.zfill(12))
print(second_string.zfill(12))
print(third_string.zfill(12))

This will output:

Codecademy
@Codecademy

Codecademy
@Codecademy

00Codecademy
0@Codecademy
000000000cat

Codebyte Example

The following example shows how .zfill() method helps ensure a specific length for a string, adding zeros to the beginning if the string is shorter than the desired length.

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