Python is a popular programming language created by Guido van Rossum, and released in 1991.
It is used for:
- software development
- mathematics
What can Python do?
- Python can connect to database systems. It can also read and change files.
- Python can be used to handle big data and perform complex mathematics.
Why Python?
- Python works on different platforms (Windows, 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.
Good to know
- The most recent major version of Python is Python 3. However, Python 2, although not being updated with anything other than security updates, is still quite popular.
Python Syntax compared to other programming languages
- Python was designed for readability, and has some similarities to the English language.
- Python uses new lines to complete a command, as opposed to other programming languages which often use semicolons
- Python relies on indentation, using whitespace, to define scope; such as the scope of loops, functions and classes. Other programming languages often use brackets for this purpose.
