Python is a dynamic, sophisticated programming language that emphasizes the expressiveness and easy understanding of the code. The syntax allows for equivalent implementations with other languages in fewer lines of code. Due to this fact, Python is very commonly used in both application programming and scripting.
Python is a dynamic multi-paradigm programming language created in 1991 by Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum. Python is a multifunctional language used by companies like Google or Yahoo for web application programming, but there are also many scientific or entertainment applications programmed partially or entirely in Python. The growing popularity and power of the Python programming language have led to its adoption as the primary language of development by specialized programmers and even language teaching in some academic environments. For the same reason, many Unix-based systems, including Linux, BSD, and Mac OS X, include the CPython interpreter from the start. Python emphasizes the cleanliness and simplicity of the code, and its syntax allows developers to express some programmatic ideas more transparently and concisely than in other programming languages like C. Python’s reference implementation is written in C and therefore bears the name CPython. This deployment is free software and is managed by the Python Software Foundation.
The syntax is designed in such a way that Python programs are easy to read. This is achieved by using words instead of signs, for example instead of && and including indenting into the language. Thus, Python does not use braces, as in C / C ++, Java, but blocks of code are delimited by indenting. Python programs are often very close to an equivalent “implementation” in the pseudo-code.
Example:
# Write your code below!
print “Welcome to Python!”
Python is interpreted, not compiled. That means Python programs are transformed into intermediate language. This allows the code to be easily ported to various operating systems and hardware architectures.
The code is executed line by line. Thus, if – for example – we call a function that does not exist, we will only get an error message when trying to execute that line. Syntax errors are reported before running the program.
To practice the syntax and the basics of the language, we will use the Python interpreter directly.
The interpreter is very much like a command line, terminal, bash. The prompt, >>>, appears when user input is expected. Once an instruction is entered, it is evaluated, and if there is output, it is displayed, starting with a new line. Expressions are evaluated and displayed.
>>> # Comments begin with ‘#’ and everything on the right will be ignored
>>> 3 # 3 is an expression – it is evaluated and the result is displayed
3
>>> 2 + 4 # other expression
6
>>> a = 3 # This statement declares the variable in the current session and assigns it a value of 3
>>> a # entering an expression, its value will be displayed
3
>>> a + 4
7
>>> a = ‘hi’ # can take any value
>>> a
‘Hi’
>>>
To write a Python code, you only need the software Notepad. However, as a beginner, if you want to make your life easier, first try an Integrated Development Environment. An IDE is a program that “color” your code in a way that is easy to navigate, checks it, and at times writes code snippets for you, helping you to be fast and efficient. A lot of errors occur due to the wrong typing or forgetting of characters, an IDE will help you much to overcome such problems.
1. IDLE (Python GUI) – The easiest IDE is already integrated with the Python version you have installed (look for it in the Python interpreter folder).
2. Notepad ++ – As you can guess from its name, it’s a Notepad with extra functions, like a super notepad that helps you write lines of code in different programming languages. All you have to do is download it, install it, and then add the Python-specific plugins (PyNPP, Python Indent, Python Script). It would not be bad to add other plugins such as HTML, XML.
3. PyCharm – It’s the hottest IDE for Python today This IDE is available in several versions (Educational, Community Edition, and Professional). I recommend using them precisely in this order. The first two are free, and the last one is free of charge. Once you have passed the transitory phase, Community Edition will satisfy most of your needs. Then when things get more complicated, you can choose to migrate to another open source IDE such as PyDev (Python IDE for Eclipse).
Language popularity has been increasing since 2000 because Python allows faster creation of applications that do not require high data processing speeds. It is also useful as a scripting language used in applications written in other languages. Python modules (libraries) can also be written in C, compiled and imported into Python to increase processing speed.