What is a quick method of string to integer conversion in Python 2.7 -

I am using Python 2.7.6. I am researching the author of the article to define a message and key:

  message = "hello world" key = "supersecret"   
 To get my cipher text for the binary value of these two wires, I know that I can represent the string of hex value of the string like: / code>  < P> However,  hexMessage  and  hexkey  are still strings I believe I should call them  in Ijr Litrls  should be if I want to native)  XOR  (dragon on them (please correct me if I'm wrong). In other words, I want to do something on the lines of the  cipherText = hexMesage ^ hexKey   
 If i  is print Hex Message, Hekski , I get:  
  48656c6c6f20576f726c64 7375706572736563726574   
 If I try this value, I get an error:  TypeError: unsupported ^: operand type for 'str' and 'str' (S) This is not surprising for me, because I think that they are string representations of hexadecimal values. I can do this:  
  realHexMessage = 0x48656c6c6f20576f726c64 realHexKey = 0x7375706572736563726574 cipher = realHexMessage ^ realHexKey   
 Unfortunately, I string copy to achieve values used to paste the Heksmsej and Hekske my terminal, then he was prepaid with  0x  in your code so that the  XOR  ed to the literal value clearly From, I am doing it wrong   lot  .  
 My question is, what is a quick way to change my  message  using  ^  operator by  XOR  And can add  key  string variables to their literal counterpart   <
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 Actually, it changes each character in the string for a numerical byte using the  ord , and then this format in hex, hex characters join together, and Parses that a As a  integer   
  def convertor (A): return int ("" in x (x, 'x') format x (ord, a)], 16) message = "hello world" Print "0x% x"% convertToInteger (message)   
 output:  
  0x48656c6c6f20576f726c64