How Do We Convert a String to Camel Case in Python?

Excerpt§

This article explains different techniques to convert a string to camel case in Python, including title() method, regex, libraries, loops, formatting, and online tools.

Camel case is a common naming convention in programming where each word is capitalized and concatenated together without spaces. For example, “helloWorld” or “fullName”. In Python, there are several different techniques to convert regular strings to camel case.

Introduction§

Camel case, also referred to as camelCase, is a case styling where the first letter of each word is capitalized, with no spaces between words. Some examples are:

• “helloWorld”
• “fullName”
• “mobileApplication”

Camel case is frequently used for class names, variable names, method names, and more in programming.

Python provides multiple ways to convert a regular string to camel case, including:

• Using the built-in title() method
• Regular expressions
• External libraries
• Looping over the string
• String formatting
• Online conversion tools

Each approach has its own advantages. This article will go through examples of each technique.

Using title() Method§

The easiest way to camel case a string in Python is using the built-in title() method. This capitalizes the first letter of each word in the string:

1text = "hello world"
2camel_cased = text.title()
3# camel_cased = "Hello World"
python

title() requires no additional libraries and converts the text to camel case in one line.

Regular Expressions§

Regular expressions (regex) can substitute uppercase letters into the correct positions of a string to convert to camel case.

For example:

1import re
2
3text = "hello world"
4text = re.sub(r"(^\w)|(\s+\w)", lambda x: x.group(0).upper(), text)
5print(text)
6# "HelloWorld"
python

Here re.sub() performs a regex substitution, locating word boundaries and uppercasing.

External Libraries§

There are dedicated Python libraries for converting strings to camel case, like camelcase and hump:

1from camelcase import CamelCase
2
3text = "hello world"
4
5c = CamelCase()
6print(c.hump(text)) # "helloWorld"
python

These provide simple camel case functions without needing to write the logic yourself.

Loop Over String§

We can iterate through the string and capitalize the first letter of each word manually:

1text = "hello world"
2words = text.split()
3camel_cased = words[0].lower()
4
5for word in words[1:]:
6  camel_cased += word.capitalize()
7
8print(camel_cased) # "helloWorld"
python

This splits the words, lowercases the first, then capitalizes the rest.

Formatting Strings§

For more control, we can use %-formatting or f-strings to format capital letters programmatically:

1text = "hello world"
2words = text.split()
3
4formatted = f"{words[0].lower()}{words[1].capitalize()}"
5
6print(formatted) # "helloWorld"
python

Formatting allows flexible casing rules within the string.

Online Conversion Tools§

Sites like CamelCase Converter make converting to camel case easy.

Just paste the string and get the converted output - no code required!

When to Use Camel Case§

Some common uses of camel case in Python include:

• Class names - MyClassName
• Variable names - myVariableName
• Method names - runSimulation()

Camel case improves readability with capitalization rather than underscores.

Conclusion§

In summary, Python offers many approaches to convert strings to camel case, including:

• title() method
• Regular expressions
• External libraries
• Looping over strings
• String formatting
• Online tools

The title() method and online converters are easiest, while regex and libraries provide more power for complex cases.

Focus on readability and simplicity when converting to camel case in Python. Consistent casing can improve code organization.