What is the difference between '==' and 'is' in Python?

In Python, '==' and 'is' are used for comparison, but they serve different purposes.

The '==' operator checks for value equality. This means it compares the values of two objects to see if they are the same.

The 'is' operator checks for identity. This means it checks whether two references point to the same object in memory.

Here's an example to illustrate the difference:

a = [1, 2, 3] b = a c = list(a) print(a == b) # Output: True, because both have the same content print(a is b) # Output: True, because both refer to the same object print(a == c) # Output: True, because both have the same content print(a is c) # Output: False, because c is a different object in memory

Python comparison operators equality vs identity Python 'is' vs '=='