Python - The Origin

My instructor Pramode.C.E has sent me the links of a text about the Python programming language – “Think Python by Allen B. Downey”. Before I’m going to think Python, I want to introduce this programming language to you.

Guido van Rossum

The implementation of Python was started in December 1989 by Guido van Rossum. Python 2.0 was released on 16 October 2000, with many major new features including a full garbage collector and support for Unicode. Python 3.0 (also known as Python 3000 or py3k), a major, backwards-incompatible release, was released on 3 December 2008 after a long period of testing. I’m proud to inform you that Python has twice been awarded as TIOBE Programming Language of the Year (2007, 2010), which is given to the language with the greatest growth in popularity over the course of the year (as measured by the TIOBE index).

Python is a multi-paradigm programming language. Rather than forcing programmers to adopt a particular style of programming, it permits several styles: object-oriented programming and structured programming are fully supported, and there are a number of language features which support functional programming and aspect-oriented programming (including by metaprogramming and by magic methods). Many other paradigms are supported using extensions, such as pyDBC and Contracts for Python. Python uses dynamic typing and a combination of reference counting and a cycle-detecting garbage collector for memory management. An important feature of Python is dynamic name resolution (late binding), which binds method and variable names during program execution. Python is often used as a scripting language for web applications, e.g. via mod_wsgi for the Apache web server.

Python Logo

For many operating systems, Python is a standard component. A number of Linux distributions use installers written in Python: Ubuntu uses the Ubiquity installer, while Red Hat Linux and Fedora use the Anaconda installer. YouTube and the original BitTorrent client are the popular users of Python. Large organizations that make use of Python include Google, Yahoo!, CERN, NASA, ILM, and ITA. Most of the Sugar software, which is an open source desktop environment designed with the goal of being used by children for learning as a part of  One Laptop per Child is written in Python.

Users and admirers of Python—most especially those considered knowledgeable or experienced—are often referred to as Pythonists, Pythonistas, and Pythoneers. I’m going to be a Pythonist by its true sense and you can expect posts regarding Python on the coming days.

Thanks

AJAY