__str__() vs __repr__()

Both customize how an object becomes text, but they target different audiences.

__repr__

• Unambiguous, developer-oriented representation.
• Ideal goal: string that could recreate the object (eval-able when practical).
• Used by the interactive console and when containers print elements.

__str__

• Readable, user-facing description.
• Used by str(obj) and print(obj).
• If __str__ is missing, Python falls back to __repr__.

class User:
    def __init__(self, user_id: int, name: str):
        self.user_id = user_id
        self.name = name

    def __repr__(self) -> str:
        return f"User(user_id={self.user_id!r}, name={self.name!r})"

    def __str__(self) -> str:
        return f"{self.name} (#{self.user_id})"

u = User(7, "Asha")
print(str(u))    # Asha (#7)
print(repr(u))   # User(user_id=7, name='Asha')
print([u])       # uses repr inside containers

Interview mnemonic: repr for developers/debugging; str for humans/display.