Python is a high-level, interpreted, interactive, and object-oriented programming language that was created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991.
Since its creation, Python has become one of the most popular and widely used programming languages in all areas. From creating small scripts for automations, to areas such as data science, web development, or artificial intelligence.
Python stands out for its simple and readable syntax, which makes it easy to learn and use. According to its creators, it is designed to be “understood by humans”, facilitating the writing and reading of the code.
Python Features
Python is an interpreted language. This means that the Python code we write is executed by the Python interpreter, which reads and executes the code line by line at runtime.
In fact, we can at any time open the Python interpreter, write commands, and see how they are calculated in real time. However, it is normal for us to save our instructions in one or more text files with a .py extension, and launch the interpreter on this file.
On the other hand, Python is an object-oriented language. Everything in Python is an object with its properties and methods. This favors modular and structured programming, encapsulating functions and data in reusable objects.
It is also cross-platform, compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, among others. A program written in Python runs on any operating system, without the need for too many (or any) changes.
Advantages of Python
The main advantage of Python is to strongly bet on simplicity. Python starts from the premise that “simpler is better”. It seems obvious, but not all languages follow this philosophy.
Python focuses on the productivity and readability of the code. Under a philosophy known as “The Zen of Python”, which promotes simplicity and clarity in code design.
On the other hand, Python is a multipurpose language (like almost all today). This means that we can use it for any field, not exclusively in one type of program or tasks.
Another great advantage of Python is its wide standard library, which provides modules and functions to perform various tasks such as file manipulation or networking. This facilitates the development of applications without having to reinvent the wheel.
Finally, the greatest advantage is the great popularity that the language has acquired, and which has given it a large community of developers around it.
There is a large amount of resources, documentation, tutorials, and libraries available, facilitating learning and problem solving. If you have a need, it is most likely that someone has already created a library to solve it in Python.
Where is Python used
Python is very popular, and as we have said, it is multipurpose. That is, it is used in a large number of fields, and more every day.
For example, Python is excellent for automating repetitive tasks and creating scripts. We can quickly create a script, for example, to rename files, delete empty folders, things like that.
On the other hand, Python is widely used in data analysis, visualization, data processing, and machine learning. This is due, in large part, to the existence of libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, and Scikit-learn.
Python is also often the preferred choice for implementing prototype algorithms for artificial intelligence, machine learning, or computer vision. Again, thanks to specialized libraries such as TensorFlow, Keras, and PyTorch.
In addition, Python also has its share of the “pie” in Web development, through frameworks such as Django or Flask, which allow the creation of web applications in a simple way.
Also in game development and interactive applications with libraries such as PyGame or Pyglet. Even the Godot game engine uses GDScript, which is strongly based on Python.
Finally, it also has a place in embedded systems such as Arduino and electronics, thanks to frameworks like MicroPython.
In short, that today Python is used everywhere. Even quite a few programs have adopted it (or plan to) as a scripting language, replacing alternatives such as LISP or VBA.