[python] How to "test" NoneType in python?

I have a method that sometimes returns a NoneType value. So how can I question a variable that is a NoneType? I need to use if method, for example

if not new:
    new = '#'

I know that is the wrong way and I hope you understand what I meant.

As pointed out by Aaron Hall's comment:

Since you can't subclass NoneType and since None is a singleton, isinstance should not be used to detect None - instead you should do as the accepted answer says, and use is None or is not None.

Original Answer:

The simplest way however, without the extra line in addition to cardamom's answer is probably:
isinstance(x, type(None))

So how can I question a variable that is a NoneType? I need to use if method

Using isinstance() does not require an is within the if-statement:

if isinstance(x, type(None)): 
    #do stuff

Additional information
You can also check for multiple types in one isinstance() statement as mentioned in the documentation. Just write the types as a tuple.

isinstance(x, (type(None), bytes))

Python 2.7 :

x = None
isinstance(x, type(None))

or

isinstance(None, type(None))

==> True

if variable is None:
   ...

if variable is not None:
   ...

Not sure if this answers the question. But I know this took me a while to figure out. I was looping through a website and all of sudden the name of the authors weren't there anymore. So needed a check statement.

if type(author) == type(None):
     my if body
else:
    my else body

Author can be any variable in this case, and None can be any type that you are checking for.

It can also be done with isinstance as per Alex Hall's answer :

>>> NoneType = type(None)
>>> x = None
>>> type(x) == NoneType
True
>>> isinstance(x, NoneType)
True

isinstance is also intuitive but there is the complication that it requires the line

NoneType = type(None)

which isn't needed for types like int and float.

I hope this example will be helpful for you)

print(type(None))  # NoneType

So, you can check type of the variable name

# Example
name = 12  # name = None

if type(name) is type(None):
    print("Can't find name")
else:
    print(name)