History MediaNotes / Python

Traditionally, interpreted languages like Python are not used to develop whole applications. Partly because the process of interpreting code is slower than the process of running code that's already been compiled into machine language. This is much less true than it once was, because after running a program once, Python stores it in "bytecode" that's been almost, but not quite, compiled into machine code. But for the most part, it's because interpreted programming languages have lacked access to the ''libraries'' that compiled programming languages had. Libraries like, say, [=OpenGL=], which allows C++ programmers to render fancy graphics without first telling the computer what a [[UsefulNotes/BitmapsSpritesAndTextures sprite]] is, and how to move it around.

Python is an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpreted_language interpreted]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_programming_language dynamically typed]] [[UsefulNotes/ProgrammingLanguage programming language]]. That means its programs are text files. To execute a Python program, you run a program called an interpreter that reads a text file full of Python code, and does what it says, and as long as an interpreter is available for one's platform of choice ([[Platform/{{Unix}} UNIX-based or UNIX-like operating systems]] typically come with one and the developers maintain ports to [[Platform/MicrosoftWindows Windows]] and Platform/MacOS) the operating system and architecture are largely irrelevant since compilation isn't required. The language's name is a LineOfSightName derived from ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''; [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant no relations to]] the [[SnakesAreSinister snake]].

It is in this last area that Python breaks the mold. Python has extensions that are written in other languages, but unlike those previous languages, Python extensions can be generated ''automatically'' from existing [[UsefulNotes/TheCLanguage C]] code, and with only a little extra work, you can use Python itself to tidy up the interface so that people who don't like [[UsefulNotes/TheCLanguage C]] can use the library anyway.

Python is distinguished by its near-complete lack of braces. Where other programming languages require you to partition your blocks of code using punctuation, Python looks at how it's indented. Other languages are ''customarily'' indented to indicate how they're organized, but in Python, that's an actual ''rule of the language'' that you have to follow, or your program won't work. This frequently makes Python programs more readable than their equivalents in UsefulNotes/JavaScript and the like, and readability is one of the goals of the language, as mentioned on the UsefulNotes/ProgrammingLanguage article.

And a rather good, freely available instructional book: [[http://greenteapress.com/thinkpython/ Python for Software Design: How to Think like a Computer Scientist]].

@@[[purple:print]][[gray:(]][[green:"Hello World!"]][[gray:)]]\\

@@[[gray:a = 10]]\\
[[gray:b = 7]]\\
[[gray:c = ]][[green:"Bob"]]\\\
[[purple:print]][[gray:(a + b)]]\\

[[purple:print]][[gray:(b + c)]]\\

[[purple:print]][[gray:(]][[green:"Hello, "]][[gray: + c)]]\\

@@[[gold:for]] [[gray:i]] [[gold:in]] [[purple:range]][[gray:(0, 10):]]\\
[[purple:print]][[gray:(i)]]\\

\\

The language takes pains to prevent the programmer from having to worry about memory management: it has an automatic garbage collector, meaning you don't have to worry about deleting variables after you're done with them; all variables are technically "pointers," but some types of variable can't be modified after they're created, which prevents issues that arise in C++ and the like where you don't know whether you're dealing with a variable or its EvilTwin; it handles type conversion automatically, meaning the difference between 2 and 2.0 is only as important as you want it to be; and the variable declarations that are used in most other languages to define what type of data a variable will hold are entirely absent from Python, where you "declare" a variable by assigning a value to it. Because of the ease of programming in Python and its clean syntax, it's replaced BASIC as the first language of many new coders, as well as Pascal and LISP in introductory university computer science courses. Cementing its status as a SpiritualSuccessor to BASIC, Python is ubiquitous on modern graphing calculators. It's also popular for scientific computing with the [=NumPy=], [=SymPy=], and [=SciPy=] libraries, giving Mathematica and MATLAB a run for their money.

The language takes pains to prevent the programmer from having to worry about memory management: it has an automatic garbage collector, meaning you don't have to worry about deleting variables after you're done with them; all variables are technically "pointers," but some types of variable can't be modified after they're created, which prevents issues that arise in C++ and the like where you don't know whether you're dealing with a variable or its EvilTwin; it handles type conversion automatically, meaning the difference between 2 and 2.0 is only as important as you want it to be; and the variable declarations that are used in most other languages to define what type of data a variable will hold are entirely absent from Python, where you "declare" a variable by assigning a value to it. Because of the ease of programming in Python and its clean syntax, it's replaced BASIC as the first language of many new coders, as well as Pascal and LISP in introductory university computer science courses, as well as on graphing calculators. It's also popular for scientific computing with the [=NumPy=], [=SymPy=], and [=SciPy=] libraries, giving Mathematica and MATLAB a run for their money.

* UsefulNotes/RenPy is for VisualNovel games.

The language takes pains to prevent the programmer from having to worry about memory management: it has an automatic garbage collector, meaning you don't have to worry about deleting variables after you're done with them; all variables are technically "pointers," but some types of variable can't be modified after they're created, which prevents issues that arise in C++ and the like where you don't know whether you're dealing with a variable or its EvilTwin; it handles type conversion automatically, meaning the difference between 2 and 2.0 is only as important as you want it to be; and the variable declarations that are used in most other languages to define what type of data a variable will hold are entirely absent from Python, where you "declare" a variable by assigning a value to it. Because of the ease of programming in Python and its clean syntax, it's replaced BASIC as the first language of many new coders, as well as Pascal and LISP in introductory university computer science courses, as well as on graphing calculators. It's also popular for scientific computing with the [=NumPy=] and [=SciPy=] libraries, giving Mathematica and MATLAB a run for their money.

The language takes pains to prevent the programmer from having to worry about memory management: it has an automatic garbage collector, meaning you don't have to worry about deleting variables after you're done with them; all variables are technically "pointers," but some types of variable can't be modified after they're created, which prevents issues that arise in C++ and the like where you don't know whether you're dealing with a variable or its EvilTwin; it handles type conversion automatically, meaning the difference between 2 and 2.0 is only as important as you want it to be; and the variable declarations that are used in most other languages to define what type of data a variable will hold are entirely absent from Python, where you "declare" a variable by assigning a value to it. Because of the ease of programming in Python and its clean syntax, it's replaced BASIC as the first language of many new coders, as well as Pascal and LISP in introductory university computer science courses. It's also popular for scientific computing with the [=NumPy=] and [=SciPy=] libraries, giving Mathematica and MATLAB a run for their money.

[[gray:c = ]][[green:"hi"]]\\\

[[red:# The correct way would be print(str(b) + c), which outputs 7hi]]\\\
[[purple:print]][[gray:(]][[green:"Hello and "]][[gray: + c)]]\\
[[red:# Outputs Hello and hi]]\\

The program will output numbers 0 through 9, but not 10. This example also highlights pythons famous bracket-less syntax. Python uses a colon (:) instead of a left bracket ({) and uses the code's formating to figure out the rest.

[[red:# The correct way would be print(str(b) + c)]]\\\

The program will output numbers 0 thru 9. This example also highlights pythons famous bracket-less syntax. Python uses a colon (:) instead of a left bracket ({) and uses the code's formating to figure out the rest.

The language takes pains to prevent the programmer from having to worry about memory management: it has an automatic garbage collector, meaning you don't have to worry about deleting variables after you're done with them; all variables are technically "pointers," but some types of variable can't be modified after they're created, which prevents issues that arise in C++ and the like where you don't know whether you're dealing with a variable or its EvilTwin; it handles type conversion automatically, meaning the difference between 2 and 2.0 is only as important as you want it to be; and the variable declarations that are used in most other languages to define what type of data a variable will hold are entirely absent from Python, where you "declare" a variable by assigning a value to it. Because of the ease of programming in Python and its clean syntax, it's replaced BASIC as the first language of many new coders, as well as Pascal and LISP in introductory university computer science courses.

[[gray:c = ]][[green:"hi"]]\\

[[red:# Outputs 17]]\\

[[red:# The correct way would be print(str(b) + c)]]\\

Python is distinguished by its near-complete lack of braces. Where other programming languages require you to partition your blocks of code using punctuation, Python looks at how it's indented. Other languages are ''customarily'' indented to indicate how they're organized, but in Python, that's an actual ''rule of the language'' that you have to follow, or your program won't work. This frequently makes Python programs more readable than their equivalents in [=JavaScript=] and the like, and readability is one of the goals of the language, as mentioned on the UsefulNotes/ProgrammingLanguage article.

Python is an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpreted_language interpreted]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_programming_language dynamically typed]] [[UsefulNotes/ProgrammingLanguage programming language]]. That means its programs are text files. To execute a Python program, you run a program called an interpreter that reads a text file full of Python code, and does what it says, and as long as an interpreter is available for one's platform of choice ([[UsefulNotes/{{Unix}} UNIX-based or UNIX-like operating systems]] typically come with one and the developers maintain ports to [[UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows Windows]] and UsefulNotes/MacOS) the operating system and architecture are largely irrelevant since compilation isn't required. The language's name is a LineOfSightName derived from ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''; [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant no relations to]] the [[SnakesAreSinister snake]].

Python is an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpreted_language interpreted]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_programming_language dynamically typed]] [[UsefulNotes/ProgrammingLanguage programming language]]. That means its programs are text files. To execute a Python program, you run a program called an interpreter that reads a text file full of Python code, and does what it says, and as long as an interpreter is available for one's platform of choice (UsefulNotes/{{Unix}}-based or Unix-like operating systems typically come with one and the developers maintain ports to [[UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows Windows]] and UsefulNotes/MacOS) the operating system and architecture are largely irrelevant since compilation isn't required. The language's name is a LineOfSightName derived from ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''; [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant no relations to the snake]].

Python is an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpreted_language interpreted]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_programming_language dynamically typed]] [[UsefulNotes/ProgrammingLanguage programming language]]. That means its programs are text files. To execute a Python program, you run a program called an interpreter that reads a text file full of Python code, and does what it says, and as long as an interpreter is available for one's platform of choice (UsefulNotes/{{Unix}}-based or Unix-like operating systems typically come with one and the developers maintain ports to [[UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows Windows]] and UsefulNotes/MacOS) the operating system and architecture are largely irrelevant since compilation isn't required. The name is a reference to ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'', [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant not the snake]].

Note that currently the Python Software Foundation maintains two very different versions of Python; the 2.7 branch is backward compatible with older code and would be better for old-school Python programmers who don't want to update their code, while the 3.x branch made several major changes to the language that are often incompatible with older code. If you're new to the language (or are new to programming in general and chose Python as a first language), looking into version 3 is recommended, as it has an increasing number of features not present in 2.7. Fortunately, it isn't hard to find books that cover both; for example, the popular computer book publisher O'Reilly Media currently covers both branches in its books, ''Learning Python'' (which is intended for newcomers to the language) and ''Programming Python'' (which is aimed at more advanced Python programmers).

Python therefore supports a bafflingly large array if functions, which Python programmers can tie together to make whole new programs without touching C [[note]] which the official interpreter, occasionally called [=CPython=] to distinguish it from unofficial interpreters that may be written in another language, is written in, but doesn't require knowledge of to simply use; decent knowledge of C would be required to work on the official interpreter but not the code it works with unless said code uses extensions written in C[[/note]].