1.8 Why Python?

Python, created by Guido van Rossum, draws inspiration from ABC, inheriting its focus on readability and simplicity. It improves upon ABC with features like exception handling and modules, making it more versatile and efficient for developers.

As an open-source language, Python's growth is fueled by global collaboration. Its extensive standard library and third-party packages cover a wide range of applications, from data analysis to web development, contributing to its popularity across various domains.

Python's Origins and Popularity

Influence of ABC on Python

Top images from around the web for Influence of ABC on Python

• 

  list - Python: Expected an indented block outside for loop - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Python Indentation in Graphserver's code - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Copy-paste into Python interactive interpreter and indentation - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  list - Python: Expected an indented block outside for loop - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Python Indentation in Graphserver's code - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Influence of ABC on Python

• 

  list - Python: Expected an indented block outside for loop - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Python Indentation in Graphserver's code - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Copy-paste into Python interactive interpreter and indentation - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  list - Python: Expected an indented block outside for loop - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Python Indentation in Graphserver's code - Stack Overflow View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Python's creator Guido van Rossum worked on developing ABC before creating Python
  • ABC was a general-purpose programming language developed in the 1980s that emphasized code readability and simplicity
• Python inherited several key features from ABC such as the use of indentation to define code blocks, high-level data types like lists and dictionaries, and an emphasis on code readability and simplicity
• Python aimed to address some of ABC's limitations by adding support for exception handling, incorporating modules for code organization and reuse, and implementing more efficient memory management

Open-source nature of Python

• Python is an open-source programming language, meaning its source code is freely available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute under a permissive OSI-approved license
• Python's open-source nature has contributed to its widespread adoption and growth by encouraging collaboration and contributions from a global community of developers and enabling the creation of a vast ecosystem of libraries and frameworks
• Python's standard library is extensive and well-maintained, providing a wide range of built-in modules for various tasks that are continuously updated and expanded by the Python community
• Third-party packages extend Python's functionality with numerous libraries available for specific domains such as data analysis (NumPy, Pandas) and web development (Django, Flask) that are easily installable using package managers like pip

Python vs other languages

• Python consistently ranks among the most popular programming languages in industry metrics such as the Tiobe Index where it often holds a top position, Stack Overflow Developer Survey where it frequently appears in the top 5, and GitHub Octoverse where it is one of the most used languages on the platform
• Python's popularity has been steadily increasing over the years, attributed to its simplicity, versatility, and large community support
• Compared to other popular languages:
  • Python's popularity has surpassed Java in recent years due to its simplicity and rapid development capabilities
  • Python and JavaScript often compete for the top spot, with JavaScript's dominance in web development keeping it highly popular
  • Python is more popular than C/C++ for general-purpose programming and scripting, while C/C++ remain dominant in system programming and performance-critical applications
• Python's popularity spans various domains including data analysis and scientific computing (NumPy, Pandas, SciPy), machine learning and artificial intelligence (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn), web development (Django, Flask, FastAPI), and scripting and automation where it is used extensively for system administration and DevOps tasks

Key Features of Python

• Python is an interpreted language, which means code can be executed directly without the need for compilation, facilitating rapid development and debugging
• It supports dynamic typing, allowing variables to change types during runtime, which increases flexibility in programming
• Python is a high-level programming language, abstracting many low-level details and making it easier for developers to focus on problem-solving
• Cross-platform compatibility is a significant advantage of Python, as code written on one operating system can typically run on others without modification
• Python supports multiple programming paradigms:
  • Object-oriented programming, allowing developers to create and use classes and objects
  • Functional programming, supporting first-class functions and other functional programming concepts