Python Programming Language

Python is a widely used programming language that offers several unique features and advantages
compared to languages like Java and C++. Our Python tutorial thoroughly explains Python basics
and advanced concepts, starting with installation, conditional statements, loops, built-in data
structures, Object-Oriented Programming, Generators, Exception Handling, Python RegEx, and
many other concepts. This tutorial is designed for beginners and working professionals.

In the late 1980s, Guido van Rossum dreamed of developing Python. The first version of Python
0.9.0 was released in 1991. Since its release, Python started gaining popularity. According to
reports, Python is now the most popular programming language among developers because of its
high demands in the tech realm.

What is Python
Python is a general-purpose, dynamically typed, high-level, compiled and interpreted, garbage-
collected, and purely object-oriented programming language that supports procedural, object-
oriented, and functional programming.

Features of Python:
o Easy to use and Read - Python's syntax is clear and easy to read, making it an ideal
language for both beginners and experienced programmers. This simplicity can lead to
faster development and reduce the chances of errors.
o Dynamically Typed - The data types of variables are determined during run-time. We
do not need to specify the data type of a variable during writing codes.
o High-level - High-level language means human readable code.
o Compiled and Interpreted - Python code first gets compiled into bytecode, and then
interpreted line by line. When we download the Python in our system form org we
download the default implement of Python known as CPython. CPython is considered to
be Complied and Interpreted both.
o Garbage Collected - Memory allocation and de-allocation are automatically managed.
Programmers do not specifically need to manage the memory.
o Purely Object-Oriented - It refers to everything as an object, including numbers and
strings.
o Cross-platform Compatibility - Python can be easily installed on Windows, macOS,
and various Linux distributions, allowing developers to create software that runs across
different operating systems.
o Rich Standard Library - Python comes with several standard libraries that provide
ready-to-use modules and functions for various tasks, ranging from web
development and data manipulation to machine learning and networking.
o Open Source - Python is an open-source, cost-free programming language. It is utilized
in several sectors and disciplines as a result.
Python Features
Python provides many useful features which make it popular and valuable from the other
programming languages. It supports object-oriented programming, procedural programming
approaches and provides dynamic memory allocation. We have listed below a few essential
features.

1) Easy to Learn and Use

Python is easy to learn as compared to other programming languages. Its syntax is straightforward
and much the same as the English language. There is no use of the semicolon or curly-bracket, the
indentation defines the code block. It is the recommended programming language for beginners.

2) Expressive Language
Python can perform complex tasks using a few lines of code. A simple example, the hello world
program you simply type print("Hello World"). It will take only one line to execute, while Java or C
takes multiple lines.

3) Interpreted Language
Python is an interpreted language; it means the Python program is executed one line at a time. The
advantage of being interpreted language, it makes debugging easy and portable.

4) Cross-platform Language
Python can run equally on different platforms such as Windows, Linux, UNIX, and Macintosh, etc.
So, we can say that Python is a portable language. It enables programmers to develop the software
for several competing platforms by writing a program only once.

5) Free and Open Source

Python is freely available for everyone. It is freely available on its official website www.python.org. It
has a large community across the world that is dedicatedly working towards make new python
modules and functions. Anyone can contribute to the Python community. The open-source means,
"Anyone can download its source code without paying any penny."

6) Object-Oriented Language
Python supports object-oriented language and concepts of classes and objects come into existence.
It supports inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation, etc. The object-oriented procedure helps
to programmer to write reusable code and develop applications in less code.

7) Extensible
It implies that other languages such as C/C++ can be used to compile the code and thus it can be
used further in our Python code. It converts the program into byte code, and any platform can use
that byte code.

8) Large Standard Library

It provides a vast range of libraries for the various fields such as machine learning, web developer,
and also for the scripting. There are various machine learning libraries, such as Tensor flow,
Pandas, Numpy, Keras, and Pytorch, etc. Django, flask, pyramids are the popular framework for
Python web development.
9) GUI Programming Support
Graphical User Interface is used for the developing Desktop application. PyQT5, Tkinter, Kivy are
the libraries which are used for developing the web application.

10) Integrated
It can be easily integrated with languages like C, C++, and JAVA, etc. Python runs code line by line
like C,C++ Java. It makes easy to debug the code.

11. Embeddable
The code of the other programming language can use in the Python source code. We can use
Python source code in another programming language as well. It can embed other language into our
code.

12. Dynamic Memory Allocation

In Python, we don't need to specify the data-type of the variable. When we assign some value to the
variable, it automatically allocates the memory to the variable at run time. Suppose we are assigned
integer value 15 to x, then we don't need to write int x = 15. Just write x = 15.

History of Python
Python was created by Guido van Rossum. In the late 1980s, Guido van Rossum, a Dutch
programmer, began working on Python while at the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the
Netherlands. He wanted to create a successor to the ABC programming language that would be
easy to read and efficient.

In February 1991, the first public version of Python, version 0.9.0, was released. This marked
the official birth of Python as an open-source project. The language was named after the British
comedy series "Monty Python's Flying Circus".

Python development has gone through several stages. In January 1994, Python 1.0 was released
as a usable and stable programming language. This version included many of the features that
are still present in Python today.

From the 1990s to the 2000s, Python gained popularity for its simplicity, readability, and
versatility. In October 2000, Python 2.0 was released. Python 2.0 introduced list
comprehensions, garbage collection, and support for Unicode.

In December 2008, Python 3.0 was released. Python 3.0 introduced several backward-incompatible
changes to improve code readability and maintainability.

Throughout 2010s, Python's popularity increased, particularly in fields like data science, machine
learning, and web development. Its rich ecosystem of libraries and frameworks made it a favourite
among developers.

The Python Software Foundation (PSF) was established in 2001 to promote, protect, and
advance the Python programming language and its community.
Python History and Versions
o Python laid its foundation in the late 1980s.
o The implementation of Python was started in December 1989 by Guido Van Rossum at
CWI in Netherland.
o In February 1991, Guido Van Rossum published the code (labeled version 0.9.0) to
alt.sources.
o In 1994, Python 1.0 was released with new features like lambda, map, filter, and reduce.
o Python 2.0 added new features such as list comprehensions, garbage collection
systems.
o On December 3, 2008, Python 3.0 (also called "Py3K") was released. It was designed to
rectify the fundamental flaw of the language.
o ABC programming language is said to be the predecessor of Python language, which
was capable of Exception Handling and interfacing with the Amoeba Operating System.
o The following programming languages influence Python:
o ABC language.
o Modula-3
o list of Python versions with its released date is given below.

Python Versions ion Released Date

Python 1.0 January 1994

Python 1.5 December 31, 1997

Python 1.6 September 5, 2000

Python 2.0 October 16, 2000

Python 2.1 April 17, 2001

Python 2.2 December 21, 2001

Python 2.3 July 29, 2003

Python 2.4 November 30, 2004

Python 2.5 September 19, 2006

Python 2.6 October 1, 2008

Python 2.7 July 3, 2010

Python 3.0 December 3, 2008

Python 3.1 June 27, 2009

Python 3.2 February 20, 2011

 Python 3.3 September 29, 2012

Python 3.4 March 16, 2014

Python 3.5 September 13, 2015

Python 3.6 December 23, 2016

Python 3.7 June 27, 2018

Python 3.8 October 14, 2019

Python Applications
Python is a general purpose programming language that makes it applicable in almost
all domains of software development. Python as a whole can be used to develop any
type of applications.
Here, we are providing some specific application areas where python can be applied.
 Web Applications
 Desktop GUI Applications
 Software Development
 Scientific and Numeric
 Business Applications
 Console Based Application
 Audio or Video based Applications

Where is Python used?

Python is a general-purpose, popular programming language, and it is used in almost every
technical field. The various areas of Python use are given below.

o Data Science: Data Science is a vast field, and Python is an important language for this
field because of its simplicity, ease of use, and availability of powerful data analysis and
visualization libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib.
o Desktop Applications: PyQt and Tkinter are useful libraries that can be used in GUI -
Graphical User Interface-based Desktop Applications. There are better languages for
this field, but it can be used with other languages for making Applications.
o Console-based Applications: Python is also commonly used to create command-line
or console-based applications because of its ease of use and support for advanced
features such as input/output redirection and piping.
o Mobile Applications: While Python is not commonly used for creating mobile
applications, it can still be combined with frameworks like Kivy or BeeWare to create
cross-platform mobile applications.
o Software Development: Python is considered one of the best software-making
languages. Python is easily compatible with both from Small Scale to Large Scale
software.
o Artificial Intelligence: AI is an emerging Technology, and Python is a perfect language
for artificial intelligence and machine learning because of the availability of powerful
libraries such as TensorFlow, Keras, and PyTorch.
o Web Applications: Python is commonly used in web development on the backend with
frameworks like Django and Flask and on the front end with tools
like JavaScript HTML and CSS.
o Enterprise Applications: Python can be used to develop large-scale enterprise
applications with features such as distributed computing, networking, and parallel
processing.
o 3D CAD Applications: Python can be used for 3D computer-aided design (CAD)
applications through libraries such as Blender.
o Machine Learning: Python is widely used for machine learning due to its simplicity,
ease of use, and availability of powerful machine learning libraries.
o Computer Vision or Image Processing Applications: Python can be used for
computer vision and image processing applications through powerful libraries such
as OpenCV and Scikit-image.
o Speech Recognition: Python can be used for speech recognition applications through
libraries such as SpeechRecognition and PyAudio.
o Scientific computing: Libraries like NumPy, SciPy, and Pandas provide advanced
numerical computing capabilities for tasks like data analysis, machine learning, and
more.
o Education: Python's easy-to-learn syntax and availability of many resources make it an
ideal language for teaching programming to beginners.
o Testing: Python is used for writing automated tests, providing frameworks like unit tests
and pytest that help write test cases and generate reports.
o Gaming: Python has libraries like Pygame, which provide a platform for developing
games using Python.
o IoT: Python is used in IoT for developing scripts and applications for devices
like Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and others.
o Networking: Python is used in networking for developing scripts and applications for
network automation, monitoring, and management.
o DevOps: Python is widely used in DevOps for automation and scripting of infrastructure
management, configuration management, and deployment processes.
o Finance: Python has libraries like Pandas, Scikit-learn, and Statsmodels for financial
modeling and analysis.
o Audio and Music: Python has libraries like Pyaudio, which is used for audio processing,
synthesis, and analysis, and Music21, which is used for music analysis and generation.
o Writing scripts: Python is used for writing utility scripts to automate tasks like file
operations, web scraping, and data processing.
1) Web Applications
We can use Python to develop web applications. It provides libraries to handle internet protocols
such as HTML and XML, JSON, Email processing, request, beautifulSoup, Feedparser, etc. One of
Python web-framework named Django is used on Instagram. Python provides many useful
frameworks, and these are given below:

o Django and Pyramid framework(Use for heavy applications)

o Flask and Bottle (Micro-framework)
o Plone and Django CMS (Advance Content management)

2) Desktop GUI Applications

The GUI stands for the Graphical User Interface, which provides a smooth interaction to any
application. Python provides a Tk GUI library to develop a user interface. Some popular GUI
libraries are given below.

o Tkinter or Tk
o wxWidgetM
o Kivy (used for writing multitouch applications )
o PyQt or Pyside

3) Console-based Application
Console-based applications run from the command-line or shell. These applications are computer
program which are used commands to execute. This kind of application was more popular in the old
generation of computers. Python can develop this kind of application very effectively. It is famous for
having REPL, which means the Read-Eval-Print Loop that makes it the most suitable language for
the command-line applications.

Python provides many free library or module which helps to build the command-line apps. The
necessary IO libraries are used to read and write. It helps to parse argument and create console
help text out-of-the-box. There are also advance libraries that can develop independent console
apps.

4) Software Development
Python is useful for the software development process. It works as a support language and can be
used to build control and management, testing, etc.

o SCons is used to build control.

o Buildbot and Apache Gumps are used for automated continuous compilation and
testing.
o Round or Trac for bug tracking and project management.

5) Scientific and Numeric

This is the era of Artificial intelligence where the machine can perform the task the same as the
human. Python language is the most suitable language for Artificial intelligence or machine learning.
It consists of many scientific and mathematical libraries, which makes easy to solve complex
calculations.

Implementing machine learning algorithms require complex mathematical calculation. Python has
many libraries for scientific and numeric such as Numpy, Pandas, Scipy, Scikit-learn, etc. If you have
some basic knowledge of Python, you need to import libraries on the top of the code. Few popular
frameworks of machine libraries are given below.

o SciPy
o Scikit-learn
o NumPy
o Pandas
o Matplotlib

6) Business Applications
Business Applications differ from standard applications. E-commerce and ERP are an example of a
business application. This kind of application requires extensively, scalability and readability, and
Python provides all these features.

Oddo is an example of the all-in-one Python-based application which offers a range of business
applications. Python provides a Tryton platform which is used to develop the business application.

7) Audio or Video-based Applications

Python is flexible to perform multiple tasks and can be used to create multimedia applications. Some
multimedia applications which are made by using Python are TimPlayer, cplay, etc. The few
multimedia libraries are given below.

o Gstreamer
 o Pyglet
o QT Phonon

8) 3D CAD Applications
The CAD (Computer-aided design) is used to design engineering related architecture. It is used to
develop the 3D representation of a part of a system. Python can create a 3D CAD application by
using the following functionalities.

o Fandango (Popular )
o CAMVOX
o HeeksCNC
o AnyCAD
o RCAM

9) Enterprise Applications
Python can be used to create applications that can be used within an Enterprise or an Organization.
Some real-time applications are OpenERP, Tryton, Picalo, etc.

10) Image Processing Application

Python contains many libraries that are used to work with the image. The image can be manipulated
according to our requirements. Some libraries of image processing are given below.

o OpenCV
o Pillow
o SimpleITK
In this topic, we have described all types of applications where Python plays an essential role in the
development of these applications. In the next tutorial, we will learn more concepts about Python.

Python's command line mode

Python's command line mode, also known as interactive mode, allows users to
execute Python code line by line and receive immediate feedback. It's a useful tool
for testing code snippets, exploring language features, and debugging.
To enter command line mode:
 Open a terminal or command prompt.
 Type python (or py on Windows) and press Enter.
 The Python interpreter will start, and you'll see the >>> prompt.
Now you can type Python statements and expressions directly at the prompt. After
pressing Enter, the interpreter will evaluate and execute the code, displaying the
result (if any).

Python
>>> 2 + 2
4
>>> name = "World"
>>> print("Hello, " + name)
Hello, World
>>> def greet(name):
... return "Hello, " + name + "!"
...
>>> greet("Python")
'Hello, Python!'