In recent years, Python has risen to become one of the most widely used programming languages worldwide. Everything from website development to software testing to machine learning uses it. Both developers and non-developers can use it. Since Python is a general-purpose language, it may be used for a variety of tasks, including data research, software and web development, automation, and everyday task completion.
According to the official definition, “Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics. Its high-level built in data structures, combined with dynamic typing and dynamic binding, make it very attractive for Rapid Application Development, as well as for use as a scripting or glue language to connect existing components together. Python's simple, easy to learn syntax emphasises readability and therefore reduces the cost of program maintenance. Python supports modules and packages, which encourages program modularity and code reuse. The Python interpreter and the extensive standard library are available in source or binary form without charge for all major platforms, and can be freely distributed.” (Larson, 2022).
Guido van Rossum designed Python, which made its debut on February 20, 1991, or 31 years ago as of 2022. (Rossum, 2009). The Zen of Python (PEP 20), which contains aphorisms like the following, is a text that summarises the fundamental principles of Python:
Beautiful is better than ugly.
Explicit is better than implicit.
Simple is better than complex.
Complex is better than complicated.
Readability counts. (Peters, 2004)
Python was created to be readily extendable via modules rather to having all of its capability built into its core. It is especially well-liked for adding programmable interfaces to already-existing applications because of its compact modularity. Van Rossum's dissatisfaction with ABC, which advocated the opposite strategy, led to his concept of a tiny core language with a huge standard library and easily expandable interpreter (Venners, 2003). Python gives developers a choice in their development style while aiming for a simpler, less cluttered syntax and grammar. In contrast to Perl's "there is more than one way to do it" motto, Python embraces a "there should be one—and preferably only one—obvious way to do it" philosophy. "To describe something as 'clever' is not considered a compliment in the Python culture" noted Alex Martelli, a Fellow of the Python Software Foundation and the author of several Python books (Martelli, et. al.,2005). The creators of Python try to prevent premature optimization and reject changes to non-critical areas of the CPython reference implementation that would result in slight speedups at the expense of clarity. When speed is important, a Python programmer can either use PyPy, a just-in-time compiler, or transfer time-critical functions to extension modules written in languages like C. Another option is Cython, which converts Python scripts into C and allows users to directly invoke the Python interpreter using C-level API calls.
The creators of Python want it to be fun to use. This is reflected in its name, which pays homage to the British comedy troupe Monty Python (General Python FAQ — Python 3.10.5 Documentation, 2012), as well as in the occasionally lighthearted tone of tutorials and reference materials. For instance, some examples refer to spam and eggs rather than the more traditional foo and bar (a reference to a sketch by Monty Python). The name "Python" for the programming language was inspired by Monty Python's Flying Circus, a BBC Comedy series from the 1970s. Guido van Rossum chose the name "Python" for the programming language because he needed something that was short, distinctive, and a little mysterious. (General Python FAQ — Python 3.10.5 Documentation, 2012). The term "pythonic," which has a wide range of connotations connected to programming style, is a well-known nickname in the Python community. "Pythonic" code may adhere to Python's minimalist philosophy and emphasis on readability, make good use of Python idioms, or just be natural or fluent in the language. Unpythonic code is difficult to understand or resembles a rough translation from another programming language. Python users and enthusiasts, especially those considered knowledgeable or experienced, are often referred to as Pythonistas (Goodger, 2009).
Benefits for Beginners
Python's high level of abstraction is advantageous for those who are new to programming. It is well renowned for its "strong opinions" regarding certain syntax and is very interactive (including whitespace). A garbage collection mechanism is used by Python, like other high-level languages, to manage memory or remove unwanted 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 like Python's rigid syntax, which is enforced by the compiler and makes it simple to have a single "right way" to write code. Regardless of their level of experience, programmers from various backgrounds make major contributions to the language. Python has an established ecosystem of both free and proprietary tools, such as frameworks, integrated development environments (IDEs), and linters. The richness and breadth of the modules supplied by PyPI and Conda will cover almost every subject.
The Python Community
Perhaps most significantly, Python has a sizable user base. The community of Python has both a cause and an impact on its popularity. It was ranked as the top programming language in 2018 by IEEE Spectrum, and according to StackOverflow's 2019 Developer Survey, it is the top "Most Wanted" and second "Most Loved" language. At PyCon gatherings, Pythonistas—as members of the community refer to themselves—meet in large numbers from all over the world.
This indicates that chances are good that there are already people working on a solution for whatever problem you are trying to solve. Additionally, there is a significant chance that they have published examples, documentation, tutorials, and code that can be used to programme a Python solution. Thousands of open source packages are available to extend Python to accomplish just about everything you can think of, and there are various IDEs and other programming tools from which to select.
Who uses Python?
Numerous businesses use Python. The following are a some of the most vocal and well-known Python-using businesses:
The company Mozilla, well known for Firefox, claims to have more than 230k lines of Python code.
Google makes available their in-house Python training.
Microsoft's IDE, Visual Studio Code, encourages the use of Python.
Netflix shows how extensively it uses Python for everything from data science to regional failover monitoring software.
Uber shares its data via IPython and Jupyter Notebook.
The source code for Reddit, which is primarily written in Python, is available on GitHub.
Python 3 has received support from Dropbox for use in its infrastructure.
Python is acknowledged by Slack, Digital Ocean, Lyft, Sauce Labs, and Fastly in an Increment article.
Python developers are sought after by several financial institutions, including CapitalOne, Bloomberg, and JPMorgan.
Additionally, Python is used to create a lot of IT infrastructure technologies. The massive cloud computing project OpenStack, which powers both private and public clouds in data centres across the world, uses Python as its core programming language. Python is also used in the creation of the infrastructure automation programme Ansible.
How to learn Python?
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