Convert fraction to decimal in Python

I want to convert 1/2 in python so that when i say print x (where x = 1/2) it returns 0.5

I am looking for the most basic way of doing this, without using any split functions, loops or maps

I have tried float(1/2) but I get 0... can someone explain me why and how to fix it?

Is it possible to do this without modifying the variable x= 1/2 ?

In python 3.x any division returns a float;

>>> 1/2
0.5

To achieve that in python 2.x, you have to force float conversion:

>>> 1.0/2
0.5

Or to import the division from the "future"

>>> from __future__ import division
>>> 1/2
0.5

An extra: there is no built-in fraction type, but there is one in Python's standard library:

>>> from fractions import Fraction
>>> a = Fraction(1, 2) #or Fraction('1/2')
>>> a
Fraction(1, 2)
>>> print a
1/2
>>> float(a)
0.5

and so on...