What are Python's built-in functions?
Why Interviewers Ask This
Interviewers use this question to quickly assess whether a candidate has the foundational knowledge required for Python development. It reveals whether you understand the building blocks that more complex concepts rely on.
Answer
Python has many useful built-in functions that require no import. Numeric: abs(), round(), pow(), divmod(), sum(), min(), max(). Type conversion: int(), float(), str(), bool(), list(), tuple(), dict(), set(). Introspection: type(), isinstance(), issubclass(), dir(), vars(), id(), callable(). Iteration: range(), enumerate() (index + value pairs), zip() (combine iterables), map(), filter(), sorted(), reversed(), next(), iter(), len(). I/O: print(), input(), open(). Functional: any(), all(), hash(). Code: eval(), exec(), compile().
Pro Tip
Before answering, structure your response: one-line definition → real-world analogy → concrete example from a project. This makes even complex Python answers easy to follow.
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