Python 2.7 getting user input and manipulating as string without quotations

Use raw_input() instead of input():

testVar = raw_input("Ask user for something.")

input() actually evaluates the input as Python code. I suggest to never use it. raw_input() returns the verbatim string entered by the user.

We can use the raw_input() function in Python 2 and the input() function in Python 3. By default the input function takes an input in string format. For other data type you have to cast the user input.

In Python 2 we use the raw_input() function. It waits for the user to type some input and press return and we need to store the value in a variable by casting as our desire data type. Be careful when using type casting

x = raw_input("Enter a number: ") #String input

x = int(raw_input("Enter a number: ")) #integer input

x = float(raw_input("Enter a float number: ")) #float input

x = eval(raw_input("Enter a float number: ")) #eval input

In Python 3 we use the input() function which returns a user input value.

x = input("Enter a number: ") #String input

If you enter a string, int, float, eval it will take as string input

x = int(input("Enter a number: ")) #integer input

If you enter a string for int cast ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10:

x = float(input("Enter a float number: ")) #float input

If you enter a string for float cast ValueError: could not convert string to float

x = eval(input("Enter a float number: ")) #eval input

If you enter a string for eval cast NameError: name ' ' is not defined Those error also applicable for Python 2.

The function input will also evaluate the data it just read as python code, which is not really what you want.

The generic approach would be to treat the user input (from sys.stdin) like any other file. Try

import sys
sys.stdin.readline()

If you want to keep it short, you can use raw_input which is the same as input but omits the evaluation.