Introduction To Python Programming


Python is a high-level, versatile, and dynamically-typed programming language that has gained immense popularity for its simplicity, readability, and powerful capabilities. Created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991, Python was designed with the philosophy of emphasizing code readability and ease of use, which has contributed to its widespread adoption across various domains.

Key Features of Python:

Readability: Python's syntax is designed to be clear and concise, making it easy for both beginners and experienced developers to write and understand code. The use of indentation to define code blocks, instead of braces or keywords, contributes to the language's readability.

Versatility: Python supports multiple programming paradigms, including procedural, object-oriented, and functional programming. Its versatility allows developers to choose the approach that best suits their project requirements.

Extensive Standard Library: Python comes with a comprehensive standard library that provides modules and packages for a wide range of tasks, from handling file operations to implementing networking protocols. This extensive library reduces the need for developers to write code from scratch, fostering productivity.

Community and Ecosystem: Python has a large and active community of developers who contribute to its growth and share their knowledge through forums, conferences, and open-source projects. The rich ecosystem of third-party libraries and frameworks, such as Django, Flask, and NumPy, further enhances Python's capabilities for diverse applications.

Platform Independence: Python is platform-independent, meaning that code written in Python can run on various operating systems without modification. This portability is particularly advantageous for developers working on projects that need to be deployed across different platforms.

Interpreted Language: Python is an interpreted language, which means that the source code is executed directly by an interpreter without the need for compilation. This makes the development process more interactive, allowing for quick testing and prototyping.


Applications for Python

Python is used in many application domains. Here's a sampling.

  1. Web and Internet Development

Python offers many choices for web development:

  1. Frameworks such as Django and Pyramid.
  2. Micro-frameworks such as Flask and Bottle.
  3. Advanced content management systems such as Plone and django CMS.
  1. Scientific and Numeric

Python is widely used in scientific and numeric computing:

  1. SciPy is a collection of packages for mathematics, science, and engineering.
  2. Pandas is a data analysis and modeling library.
  3. IPython is a powerful interactive shell that features easy editing and recording of a work session, and supports visualizations and parallel computing.
  4. The Software Carpentry Course teaches basic skills for scientific computing, running bootcamps and providing open-access teaching materials.
  1. Education

Python is a superb language for teaching programming, both at the introductory level and in more advanced courses.

  1. Desktop GUIs

The Tk GUI library is included with most binary distributions of Python.

  1. Software Development

Python is often used as a support language for software developers, for build control and management, testing, and in many other ways.

  1. Business Applications

Python is also used to build ERP and e-commerce systems:


Who Uses Python

Python is used successfully in thousands of real-world business applications around the world, including many large and mission critical systems.Here are just a few companies that have successfully used python programming in their application development:

  • YouTube.com
  • Industrial Light & Magic
  • Google
  • Journyx
  • IronPort
  • EVE Online
  • HomeGain
  • EZTrip.com