Python (programming language)

Python is an interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming

Python
language. Created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991,
Python's design philosophy emphasizes code readability with its notable
use of significant whitespace. Its language constructs and object-oriented
approach aims to help programmers write clear, logical code for small and
large-scale projects.[26] Paradigm Multi-paradigm:
functional,
Python is dynamically typed and garbage-collected. It supports multiple imperative, object-
programming paradigms, including procedural, object-oriented, and oriented, reflective
functional programming. Python is often described as a "batteries
Designed by Guido van Rossum
included" language due to its comprehensive standard library.[27]
Developer Python Software
Python was conceived in the late 1980s as a successor to the ABC language. Foundation
Python 2.0, released 2000, introduced features like list comprehensions First appeared 1990[1]
and a garbage collection system capable of collecting reference cycles.
Python 3.0, released 2008, was a major revision of the language that is not Stable release 3.7.3 / 25 March
completely backward-compatible, and much Python 2 code does not run 2019[2]
unmodified on Python 3. Due to concern about the amount of code written 2.7.16 / 4 March
for Python 2, support for Python 2.7 (the last release in the 2.x series) was 2019[3]
extended to 2020. Language developer Guido van Rossum shouldered sole Typing Duck, dynamic,
responsibility for the project until July 2018 but now shares his leadership discipline gradual (since
as a member of a five-person steering council.[28][29][30] 3.5)[4]
License Python Software
Python interpreters are available for many operating systems. A global
Foundation
community of programmers develops and maintains CPython, an open
License
source[31] reference implementation. A non-profit organization, the Python
Software Foundation, manages and directs resources for Python and Filename .py, .pyc, .pyd,
CPython development. extensions .pyo (prior to
3.5),[5] .pyw, .pyz
(since 3.5)[6]

Contents Website www.python.org (h

ttps://www.python.
History org/)
Features and philosophy Major implementations
Syntax and semantics
CPython, PyPy, Stackless Python,
Indentation
Statements and control flow MicroPython. CircuitPython,
Expressions IronPython, Jython
Methods Dialects
Typing
Cython, RPython
Mathematics
Influenced by
Libraries
Development environments ABC,[7] ALGOL 68,[8] APL[9] C,[10]
Implementations
C++,[11] CLU,[12] Dylan,[13]
Reference implementation Haskell,[14] Icon,[15] Java,[16]
Other implementations
 Unsupported implementations Lisp,[17] Modula-3,[11] Perl, Standard
Cross-compilers to other languages ML[9]
Performance
Influenced
Development
Apache Groovy, Boo, Cobra,
Naming
CoffeeScript,[18] D, F#, Genie,[19]
API documentation generators
Go, JavaScript,[20][21] Julia,[22] Nim,
Uses Ring,[23] Ruby,[24] Swift[25]
Languages influenced by Python
Python Programming at
See also
Wikibooks
References
Sources
Further reading
External links

History
Python was conceived in the late 1980s[32] by Guido van Rossum at Centrum
Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the Netherlands as a successor to the ABC language
(itself inspired by SETL)[33], capable of exception handling and interfacing with the
Amoeba operating system.[7] Its implementation began in December 1989.[34] Van
Rossum continued as Python's lead developer until July 12, 2018, when he announced
his "permanent vacation" from his responsibilities as Python's Benevolent Dictator For
Life, a title the Python community bestowed upon him to reflect his long-term
commitment as the project's chief decision-maker.[35] In January, 2019, active Python
core developers elected Brett Cannon, Nick Coghlan, Barry Warsaw, Carol Willing and
van Rossum to a five-member "Steering Council" to lead the project.[36]

Python 2.0 was released on 16 October 2000 with many major new features, including
a cycle-detecting garbage collector and support for Unicode.[37] Guido van Rossum at
OSCON 2006.
Python 3.0 was released on 3 December 2008. It was a major revision of the language
that is not completely backward-compatible.[38] Many of its major features were
backported to Python 2.6.x[39] and 2.7.x version series. Releases of Python 3 include the 2to3 utility, which automates
(at least partially) the translation of Python 2 code to Python 3.[40]

Python 2.7's end-of-life date was initially set at 2015 then postponed to 2020 out of concern that a large body of
existing code could not easily be forward-ported to Python 3.[41][42] In January 2017, Google announced work on a
Python 2.7 to Go transcompiler to improve performance under concurrent workloads.[43]

Features and philosophy

Python is a multi-paradigm programming language. Object-oriented programming and structured programming are
fully supported, and many of its features support functional programming and aspect-oriented programming
(including by metaprogramming[44] and metaobjects (magic methods)).[45] Many other paradigms are supported via
extensions, including design by contract[46][47] and logic programming.[48]

Python uses dynamic typing, and a combination of reference counting and a cycle-detecting garbage collector for
memory management. It also features dynamic name resolution (late binding), which binds method and variable
names during program execution.