[Python] How do I check if a string represents a number (float or int)?

How do I check if a string represents a numeric value in Python?

def is_number(s):
try:
float(s)
return True
except ValueError:
return False


The above works, but it seems clunky.


Editor's note: If what you are testing comes from user input, it is still a string even if it represents an int or a float. For converting the input, see How can I read inputs as numbers? For ensuring that the input represents an int or float (or other requirements) before proceeding, see Asking the user for input until they give a valid response

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