About Python
Paul Frederik de Zwaan
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Learn about Python, the popular and pervasive programming language built for nearly every purpose.
What is Python?
Python is a popular general-purpose programming language that can be used for a wide variety of applications. It includes high-level data structures, dynamic typing, dynamic binding, and many more features that make it as useful for complex application development as it is for scripting or "glue code" that connects components together. It can also be extended to make system calls to almost all operating systems and to run code written in C or C++. Due to its ubiquity and ability to run on nearly every system architecture, Python is a universal language found in a variety of different applications.
About Python
First developed in the late 1980s by?Guido van Rossum, Python has advanced as an open source programming language by managing public discussion through?Python Enhancement Proposals?(PEPs). In 2018, van Rossum?stepped down?as the language's Benevolent Dictator For Life (BDFL), and,?as officially outlined in?PEP 13,?a steering council was put in place to serve as the leadership of the language.
The?Python Software Foundation?(PSF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that holds the intellectual property rights behind the Python programming language. This includes Python version 2.1 and later, PyPI, the CPython reference implementation, and infrastructure to maintain the language. The PSF also provides grants for software craftship and runs multiple PyCon conferences a year.
Python is currently on its?third major version?and is regularly updated.
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Is Python open source?
Yes, all modern versions of Python are copyrighted under a?GPL-compatible license?certified by the?Open Source Initiative. The Python logo is?trademarked?but allows for customization
Why use Python?
There are several reasons why Python is a good choice as a programming language, depending on your perspective and background.
Python for programmers
Those new to programming can benefit from Python's high level of abstraction. It is highly interactive and known for its "strong opinions" around specific syntax (including whitespace).
Python, like other high-level languages, has a?garbage collection?process to manage memory or delete unused resources. A user can receive instant feedback from the interpreter by typing?python?on the command line or by using projects like?JupyterLab?if they want a browser-based development experience. Many users also appreciate that Python has a strict syntax enforced by the compiler, making it easy to have a single "right way" to write a program.
It's also used to write desktop software, such as?Calibre?and?OpenShot. Blender is among the many applications?written in other languages that allow users to?script in Python. It's also a popular language for machine learning and?scientific, statistical, mathematical, and other types of specialized computing. Even the?Raspberry Pi?gained its name from the founders' plan to use the platform for teaching Python.
So, in short, what is Python used for? Nearly everything!