title: How to manipulate digits within an integer/string?
body: <p>I am looking for a general way to refer to particular digits in a integer or string, I need to be able to perform different operations on alternating digits and sum the result of all of those returned values.</p>
  
  <p>Any help is much appreciated</p>
  
  <p>Oh and I am a complete beginner so idiot-proof answers would be appreciated.</p>
  
  <p>I will elaborate, is there any inbuilt function on Python that could reduce an integer into a list of it's digits, I have looked to no avail and I was hoping someone here would understand what I was asking, sorry to be so vague but I do not know enough of Python yet to provide a very in-depth question.</p>