PYTHON

What is Python?

Python is a popular programming language. It was created in 1991 by Guido van Rossum.

It is used for:

• web development (server-side),
• software development,
• mathematics,
• system scripting.

Python is a general purpose, dynamic, high level and interpreted programming language. It supports Object Oriented programming approach to develop applications. It is simple and easy to learn and provides lots of high-level data structures.

Python is easy to learn yet powerful and versatile scripting language which makes it attractive for Application Development.

Python's syntax and dynamic typing with its interpreted nature, makes it an ideal language for scripting and rapid application development.

Python supports multiple programming pattern, including object oriented, imperative and functional or procedural programming styles.

Python is not intended to work on special area such as web programming. That is why it is known as multipurpose because it can be used with web, enterprise, 3D CAD etc.

We don't need to use data types to declare variable because it is dynamically typed so we can write a=10 to assign an integer value in an integer variable.

Python makes the development and debugging fast because there is no compilation step included in python development and edit-test-debug cycle is very fast.

What can Python do?

• Python can be used on a server to create web applications.
• Python can be used alongside software to create workflows.
• Python can connect to database systems. It can also read and modify files.
• Python can be used to handle big data and perform complex mathematics.
• Python can be used for rapid prototyping, or for production-ready software development.

Why Python?

• Python works on different platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, etc).
• Python has a simple syntax similar to the English language.
• Python has syntax that allows developers to write programs with fewer lines than some other programming languages.
• Python runs on an interpreter system, meaning that code can be executed as soon as it is written. This means that prototyping can be very quick.
• Python can be treated in a procedural way, an object-orientated way or a functional way.

Python History

• Python laid its foundation in the late 1980s.
• The implementation of Python was started in the December 1989 by Guido Van Rossum at CWI in Netherland.
• In February 1991, van Rossum published the code (labeled version 0.9.0) to alt.sources.
• In 1994, Python 1.0 was released with new features like: lambda, map, filter, and reduce.
• Python 2.0 added new features like: list comprehensions, garbage collection system.
• On December 3, 2008, Python 3.0 (also called "Py3K") was released. It was designed to rectify fundamental flaw of the language.
• ABC programming language is said to be the predecessor of Python language which was capable of Exception Handling and interfacing with Amoeba Operating System.
• Python is influenced by following programming languages:
• ABC language.
• Modula-3

Python Syntax compared to other programming languages

• Python was designed to for readability, and has some similarities to the English language with influence from mathematics.
• Python uses new lines to complete a command, as opposed to other programming languages which often use semicolons or parentheses.
• Python relies on indentation, using whitespace, to define scope; such as the scope of loops, functions and classes. Other programming languages often use curly-brackets for this purpose.