What Is The Python Programming Language?

Ashley Mangtani
5 min readSep 30, 2022

Python is a popular programming language that has become widely utilized by many notable companies around the globe, including Netflix, Instagram, Spotify, and Google. Python is regarded as the most powerful scripting language on the market.

Python can be described as a general-purpose programming language that allows programmers to create programs that solve problems using computer instructions. Python is considered a successor to the ABC programming language, which was intended to be used by the casual user.

In this article, we’ll provide users with a brief introduction to Python and its history, what it’s used for, the best use cases, and how it can be an invaluable tool to help you to succeed in your projects.

What Is Python?

Python is a high-level industry-leading programming language used to build websites (server-side), automate tasks, test software, and run data analysis.

Python is an interpreted programming language that allows instructions to be executed without first being compiled into a machine language program.

It’s also an object-oriented scripting language widely used in computer science. Further, Python enables artificial intelligence, machine learning, game development, system scripting, data visualization, and cryptography.

Python is free and open-source software. This means that anyone can download it and use it for free. The main reason why Python is so widespread is that it is simple to learn and use.

How To Use Python

Python has become the most widely-used programming language for both rudimentary and advanced web development. It’s a great choice because it allows you to quickly build scalable and maintainable applications while also being easy for developers and non-developers alike.

Python is a powerful tool commonly used in the field of Data Science, where data analysts have utilized the language to create sophisticated statistical estimations.

Data science is all about extracting useful information from large amounts of data. To do so, one must have a strong understanding of statistics, mathematics, algorithms, and other related fields.

However, many people are intimidated by these subjects and find them challenging to understand. Python is a perfect solution for data scientists who want to make sense of their data without worrying too much about the mathematical side.

You can quickly implement any algorithm or statistical technique using Python, as it’s also an excellent tool for Machine Learning. Machine learning is a field that involves building systems that can learn on their own. These systems can be trained to perform specific tasks using prolonged learning capabilities.

For example, systems can learn to identify spam emails or recognize objects in images, though achieving this goal sometimes requires lots of training data. Python utilizes several open-source libraries, such as Keras and TensorFlow, giving developers modern tools to write machine learning programs more efficiently.

History Of Python

Python was developed by Guido van Rossum and the Python Software Foundation at the Netherlands-based research center Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in 1989. Python was officially launched in 1991 and has been re-released several times over the years, eventually being released in its stable form in 2022.

The name comes from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, where van Rossum was reading the scripts from the BBC show when he thought of the name. Rossum thought the name Python was suitably snappy and intriguingly mysterious.

Python Examples

Python programming language has been around for some time and is one of the most popular languages used today. There are many different ways to use python, from web development to data analysis and everyday tasks. Here are some examples of how you can use python in your daily life.

It provides an interactive environment with powerful features such as object orientation, dynamic typing, integrated modules, automatic memory management, etc. Developers often use Python to create applications that need to be efficient at handling large amounts of data or performing complex calculations.

Python uses indentation to indicate blocks of code. This makes it easy to read and understand programs quickly. Python is also very flexible. You can write almost anything you want in Python, allowing you to solve problems differently depending on your requirements. Python is a multi-paradigm programming language. It supports multiple paradigms: imperative, fictional, structured, and reflective. Examples of Python use-cases also include Syntax, Variables, Numbers, Casting, Lists, Operators, etc.

Python Types

Python has three main data structures: lists, dictionaries, and sets. Lists are ordered collections of items. Dictionaries are unordered collections of key/value pairs. Sets are unordered collections of unique elements.

Lists

A list is an ordered collection of values that can be accessed using indices. It is similar to arrays in other languages, such as C or Java. You can add new values to a list by appending them to the end of the list. To remove all the values in a list, simply set the length property to zero.

Dictionary

A dictionary is an unordered collection of key/value pairs that can be accessed using keys. You can access any value in Python using either a key or an index. The default key will be used if you do not specify a key. You can assign a value to a key using the operator. To delete a key, simply set the corresponding value to None.

Sets

A set is an unordered collection that contains unique values. A set does not allow duplicate values. Unlike a list, which stores items sequentially, a set stores items randomly. When adding items to a set, you must check if the item already exists before storing it. Using the equality operator, you can determine whether two objects contain the same element.

Python Benefits & Drawbacks

Python is a great language for beginners who want to learn to program. However, writing bad code is also easy, making it challenging to maintain. Python might be a good choice if you’re looking for a language with many libraries available.

Python has been around for decades and is still one of the most popular programming languages used today. The main benefits of using Python include: it is easy to learn, it is free, and it is open source. However, some drawbacks to using Python: it’s sometimes slow, lacks documentation, and doesn’t support object-oriented programming.

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Ashley Mangtani

SEO & Technical Copywriter specializing in B2B, SaaS, & Digital Transformation. Currently writing for WalkMe.