Introduction to Python
- Python is a simple and powerful programming language with efficient high-level data structures and effective object-oriented programming.
- It features dynamic typing and an elegant syntax, making it ideal for scripting and rapid application development.
- The foundation for Python was laid in 1980, development started in 1989, and its first official release was in February 1991.
- Python was created by Guido Van Rossum at CWI in the Netherlands.
- It is maintained by the Python Software Foundation (PSF), a non-commercial organization.
- Python has three major versions: Python 1.x, Python 2.x (with versions 0–7), and Python 3.x (with versions 0–13 and beyond).
- Python 3.x does not maintain backward compatibility with Python 2.x.
- Its interpreted nature and cross-platform support make it suitable for a wide range of programming tasks.
- Python is widely used for scripting, rapid application development, and various domains in technology.
- The official Python software can be downloaded from www.python.org.
- The C programming language inspires Python's functional programming features.
- Python adopts object-oriented programming concepts from C++.
- Python's modular programming approach is influenced by Modulo3, while its scripting capabilities draw inspiration from PERL