Neither is better than the other, they do exactly the same thing. However, using .encode() and .decode() is the more common way to do it. It is also compatible with Python 2.
Python
docs.python.org › 3 › builtins › stdtypes.html
Built-in Types — Python 3.14.7 documentation
Return an array of bytes representing an integer.
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Neither is better than the other, they do exactly the same thing. However, using .encode() and .decode() is the more common way to do it. It is also compatible with Python 2.
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To add to Lennart Regebro's answer There is even the third way that can be used:
encoded3 = str.encode(original, 'utf-8')
print(encoded3)
Anyway, it is actually exactly the same as the first approach. It may also look that the second way is a syntactic sugar for the third approach.
A programming language is a means to express abstract ideas formally, to be executed by the machine. A programming language is considered good if it contains constructs that one needs. Python is a hybrid language -- i.e. more natural and more versatile than pure OO or pure procedural languages. Sometimes functions are more appropriate than the object methods, sometimes the reverse is true. It depends on mental picture of the solved problem.
Anyway, the feature mentioned in the question is probably a by-product of the language implementation/design. In my opinion, this is a nice example that show the alternative thinking about technically the same thing.
In other words, calling an object method means thinking in terms "let the object gives me the wanted result". Calling a function as the alternative means "let the outer code processes the passed argument and extracts the wanted value".
The first approach emphasizes the ability of the object to do the task on its own, the second approach emphasizes the ability of an separate algoritm to extract the data. Sometimes, the separate code may be that much special that it is not wise to add it as a general method to the class of the object.
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Python string decode(): Syntax, Usage, and Examples
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What is bytes.decode() in Python?
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Python String Encode and Decode: Complete Guide | DigitalOcean
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thepythoncodingstack.com › the python coding stack › `bytes`: the lesser-known python built-in sequence • and understanding utf-8 encoding
`bytes`: The Lesser-Known Python Built-In Sequence • And Understanding UTF-8 Encoding
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How to Convert Bytes to Strings in Python – Real Python
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docs.python.org › 3 › library › codecs.html
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How to Convert Bytes to String in Python | DataCamp
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towardsdev.com › python-string-encode-decode-5f159294cd33
Python encode() and decode(). When we work with String sometimes we… | by Sunil Kumar | Towards Dev
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Python Strings decode() method - GeeksforGeeks
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3 Ways to Convert Bytes to String in Python
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docs.python.org › 3 › library › io.html
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TutorialsPoint
tutorialspoint.com › article › how-can-i-convert-bytes-to-a-python-string
How can I convert bytes to a Python string?
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