How to check whether a str(variable) is empty or not?

Question

How do I make a:

if str(variable) == [contains text]:

condition?

(or something, because I am pretty sure that what I just wrote is

Answer 1

if the variable contains text then:

len(variable) != 0

of it does not

len(variable) == 0

Answer 2

string = "TEST"
try:
  if str(string):
     print "good string"
except NameError:
     print "bad string"

Answer 3

The "Pythonic" way to check if a string is empty is:

import random
variable = random.choice(l)
if variable:
    # got a non-empty string
else:
    # got an empty string

Answer 4

element = random.choice(myList)
if element:
    # element contains text
else:
    # element is empty ''

Answer 5

You could just compare your string to the empty string:

if variable != "":
    etc.

But you can abbreviate that as follows:

if variable:
    etc.

Explanation: An if actually works by computing a value for the logical expression you give it: True or False. If you simply use a variable name (or a literal string like "hello") instead of a logical test, the rule is: An empty string counts as False, all other strings count as True. Empty lists and the number zero also count as false, and most other things count as true.