A Newbie Guide to Python

Python is a useful programming language for writing simple and fast scripts, but it is also a good language to use when creating large-scale applications. Even massive operations like YouTube use Python to deliver their content on the web. Python is easy to learn for beginners while being sophisticated enough for experienced engineers to use. Let's take a look at the features and history of Python and explore the reasons for using it.

What is a Python?

Python is a high-level object-oriented programming language. This is an interpreted language, which means that you do not need to compile your programs before running them, which speeds up the code writing and debugging cycle. Python is a versatile and widely used language, so many standard Python packages are available to you when you write your code, rather than having to write all the algorithms from scratch.

A Brief History about Python

Python was created in the late 1980s by Guido van Rossum. Van Rossum had already worked on a language called ABC, which was the predecessor of Python. Building on his earlier work with ABC, van Rossum created a simple parser and virtual machine, and then began to develop the basic syntax of Python. He named the new language after Monty Python's Flying Circus, a popular British comedy comedy he enjoyed.

Guido van Rossum published the first version of Python in 1991. He continued to be the main author of the language for many years, although other people also contributed to the development of the language.

Python 2.0 was released in October 2000, with several significant improvements, including support for Unicode and a complete garbage collector to get rid of variables that are no longer used by the program. The latest major release of Python is Python 3.0, which includes many simplifications over Python 2.0 and is designed to help programmers do things in the simplest and most obvious way.

How Python is Different from Other Languages?

Python can be considered similar to other interpreted programming languages, such as Javascript and Perl. Some programmers have also made comparisons between Python and compiled languages, such as C ++ and Java. However, there are some key differences that distinguish Python from its competitors.

Python vs Java/C++

Python is considered easier to use than Java and C ++, which are also object-oriented programming languages. Python uses dynamic typing, which means programmers do not have to spend time defining variables before using them. As a result, Python code is typically 3-5 times shorter than Java code that serves the same purpose. The comparison with C ++ is even more favorable; Python code can be up to 10 times shorter than equivalent code in C ++.

Python vs Perl

Python is often used as an alternative to Perl, which is another scripting language that allows programmers to quickly write useful code. However, Python is designed to be much easier to read than Perl, allowing programmers to share, debug, and maintain code efficiently. On the other hand, Perl has many useful features for application-oriented tasks, such as built-in regular expressions.

Benefits of Python

Python is often considered one of the best languages to introduce beginners to programming. In fact, 80% of the top IT departments teach Python in their introductory programming courses. It is widely considered to have one of the most superficial learning curves of any programming language, making it an excellent choice for new programmers.

Readable

Python is written to be read. It has a simple syntax that closely mimics English. It also uses white spaces rather than braces to identify function bodies, forcing new programmers to have their code in a standardized and easy-to-read way.

Concise

The Python code is very brief compared to other languages. You do not need to set variables at the beginning of the program file because the interpreter handles input when you run the program. It's one less thing for new programmers to think when they learn to code for the first time.

Wide Range of Packages

In addition to being an excellent language for beginners, Python is also very useful for experienced programmers. This is the fifth most used language on GitHub. The popularity of Python means that many people develop packages for the language. Python.org maintains a list of the most popular Python modules, packages, and libraries that can help programmers visualize data, manipulate images, and develop interactive websites.

PIP

PIP stands for Python Package Index. It is a tool that you can use to quickly and easily install Python packages. Just use the 'pip install' and 'pip uninstall' commands to add and remove packages. PIP downloads packages before installing them, thus preventing partially completed installations.

Interpreted

Python is an interpreted language. There is no compile step between writing the code and executing it. This speeds up the process of writing, testing and correcting code, which is a nice feature for many developers.

Free

Finally, Python is completely free, which gives it an advantage over a few competitors. For example, scientists can use Python as an alternative to proprietary languages like Matlab for data analysis and simulations.

Disadvantages of Python

Python has some disadvantages, which may make it unsuitable for certain applications.

Speed

Python works slower than many other languages. This is because it is an interpreted language. In compiled languages, the compiler can create code that runs quickly and efficiently. As a result, Python is slower than compiled languages, such as C or C++. There are variants of Python, specially designed to handle certain situations, that can run faster.

Python 2 vs Python 3

Newcomers to Python must choose if they want to program in Python 2.7 or Python 3. Although Python 3 is the most up-to-date version of the language, some programmers are reluctant to make the change because many useful libraries are not yet available. Python 3. Although the availability of two stable versions of Python is not necessarily a significant disadvantage, many new programmers are confused by the choice. Python 2 and 3 have a similar syntax, but they are not fully compatible, so you should be aware that two versions exist and check that all the packages you want to use are available for your chosen version before starting your coding project.

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