def is_int(num):
    """
    given a variable, determine if it represents an integer value
    :param num: string to check if it is an int
    :type num: any (usually string)
    :return: True if the variable can be converted to an int, otherwise False
    :rtype: boolean
    """
    try:
        int(num)
        return True
    except ValueError:
        return False