int.to_bytes() vs int.from_bytes()
int.to_bytes() and int.from_bytes() are both Python Number Methods APIs, and choosing between them is a common point of confusion. This page compares their syntax, parameters, return values, and typical use cases so you can pick the right one. int.to_bytes(): Returns an array of bytes representing the integer. Its syntax is int.to_bytes(length, byteorder, *, signed=False), and it returns bytes object int.from_bytes(): Returns the integer represented by the given array of bytes. Its syntax is int.from_bytes(bytes, byteorder, *, signed=False), and it returns integer Example of int.to_bytes(): (42).to_bytes(2, "big") # b"\x00*"
(42).to_bytes(2, "little") # b"*\x00". Example of int.from_bytes(): int.from_bytes(b"\x00*", "big") # 42
int.from_bytes(b"*\x00", "little") # 42. Read the full references for int.to_bytes() and int.from_bytes() to see parameters, edge cases, and example code side by side. Other Number Methods APIs worth comparing: int.bit_length(), int.bit_count(), float.is_integer(), float.as_integer_ratio(), float.hex(), float.fromhex(). Both belong to the Number Methods category in the Python Reference documentation.