title: In laymans terms, what does the Python string format "g" actually mean?
body: <p>I feel a bit silly for asking what I'm sure is a rather basic question, but I've been learning Python and I'm having difficulty understanding what exactly the "g" and "G" string formats actually do.</p>
  
  <p>The documentation has this to say:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Floating point format. Uses lowercase exponential format if exponent is less than -4 or not less than precision, decimal format otherwise.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>I'm sure this is supposed to make sense, but I'm just not getting it. Can someone provide a clearer explanation for this format, and possibly provide some examples of when and how it should be used, vs. just using "e" or "f".</p>
  
  <p>Thanks</p>