1 WHAT IS PYTHON?
Definition:
Python is a high-level, interpreted, general-purpose programming language known for its
easy syntax and readability. It was created by Guido van Rossum and officially released in
1991.
1.1 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF PYTHON:
1. High-Level Language
o Easy to understand and closer to human language.
o Handles memory management internally.
2. Interpreted
o Code runs line-by-line without compilation.
o Makes debugging easier and faster.
3. Dynamically Typed
o No need to declare variable types explicitly.
o Type is determined at runtime.
4. Object-Oriented & Procedural
o Supports OOP principles like inheritance, classes, and encapsulation.
o Can also be used procedurally (with functions).
5. Portable and Cross-platform
o Python code can run on Windows, Mac, and Linux without changes.
6. Extensive Standard Library
o Comes with built-in modules for file handling, math, web, databases, etc.
7. Easy to Learn and Use
o Great for beginners and used in many academic and professional settings.
Example Code:
Python
CopyEdit
Print ("Hello, World!")
2 HISTORY OF PYTHON
2.1 CREATOR:
Python was created by Guido van Rossum in the late 1980s.
He was working at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the Netherlands.
2.2 INSPIRATION:
Python was inspired by:
o ABC language (a teaching language)
o C, C++, Java (for syntax and structure)
o Unix shell scripting
Why the name “Python”?
Named after the British comedy show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” not the snake.
2.3 TIMELINE OF PYTHON VERSIONS:
Year Version Highlights
1991 Python 0.9.0 First public release (basic functions)
2000 Python 2.0 List comprehensions, garbage collection
2008 Python 3.0 Major redesign (not backward compatible)
2020 Python 2.7 ends Official end of Python 2 support
2023+ Python 3.10/3.11 Match-case, performance improvements
2.4 KEY CHANGES IN PYTHON 3:
Print becomes a function: print("Hello")
Unicode strings by default
Improved integer division
Type hints and annotations
2.5 COMMUNITY & GROWTH:
Python Software Foundation (PSF) manages Python’s development.
One of the most popular languages globally (according to Stack Overflow and TIOBE
Index).
3 APPLICATIONS AND USES OF PYTHON
Python is known for its versatility and is used in almost every tech field.
3.1 WEB DEVELOPMENT
Frameworks: Django, Flask, FastAPI
Used to build websites and web applications.
Example: Instagram, Spotify (parts), Reddit backend.
3.2 DATA SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS
Libraries: Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib
Used for data analysis, data visualization, and reporting.
Python is the most used language in the data science field.
3.3 AUTOMATION / SCRIPTING
Automate repetitive tasks like renaming files, sending emails, scraping websites.
Tools: Selenium, PyAutoGUI, Requests
3.4 GAME DEVELOPMENT
Library: Pygame
Python can be used for developing small 2D games.
Great for learning game logic and prototyping.
3.5 DESKTOP GUI APPLICATIONS
Libraries: Tkinter, PyQt, Kivy
Used to build desktop software with user interfaces.
3.6 INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT)
Used in Raspberry Pi for home automation, robotics, and sensor data collection.
3.7 CYBERSECURITY AND ETHICAL HACKING
Used for building network scanners, password crackers, and automation tools.
Libraries: Scapy, Nmap, Requests
3.8 DATABASE ACCESS
Libraries: SQLite3, MySQL Connector, SQLAlchemy
Python can interact with databases for storing and retrieving data.
4 WHY CHOOSE PYTHON?
Feature Benefit
Simple Syntax Easy to learn and code
Huge Community Plenty of help, tutorials, and libraries
Versatile Usage Web, Data, AI, Games, Automation, etc.
Open-source Free to use and distribute
CONCLUSION
Python is a modern, powerful, and flexible programming language. Whether you're a beginner
learning to code or a professional working on data science or AI, Python is a perfect language to
master due to its simplicity and vast ecosystem.
