Python String find()

message = 'Python is a fun programming language'

# check the index of 'fun'
print(message.find('fun'))

# Output: 12

find() Syntax

The syntax of the find() method is:

str.find(sub[, start[, end]] )

find() Parameters

The find() method takes maximum of three parameters:

• sub - It is the substring to be searched in the str string.
• start and end (optional) - The range str[start:end] within which substring is searched.

find() Return Value

The find() method returns an integer value:

• If the substring exists inside the string, it returns the index of the first occurence of the substring.
• If a substring doesn't exist inside the string, it returns -1.

Working of find() method

Example 1: find() With No start and end Argument

quote = 'Let it be, let it be, let it be'

# first occurance of 'let it'(case sensitive)
result = quote.find('let it')
print("Substring 'let it':", result)

# find returns -1 if substring not found
result = quote.find('small')
print("Substring 'small ':", result)

# How to use find()
if (quote.find('be,') != -1):
    print("Contains substring 'be,'")
else:
    print("Doesn't contain substring")

Output

Substring 'let it': 11
Substring 'small ': -1
Contains substring 'be,'

Example 2: find() With start and end Arguments

quote = 'Do small things with great love'

# Substring is searched in 'hings with great love'
print(quote.find('small things', 10))

# Substring is searched in ' small things with great love' 
print(quote.find('small things', 2))

# Substring is searched in 'hings with great lov'
print(quote.find('o small ', 10, -1))

# Substring is searched in 'll things with'
print(quote.find('things ', 6, 20))

Output

-1
3
-1
9

Also Read:

• Python String index()
• Python String count()