What is Python?
Last updated
Last updated
Python is a general programming language. It can be used to write many different programs. If you’d like to create web-based applications, manipulate databases, analytics, or study computer science, all can be done with Python. Python is considered a high-level language. Rather than using a language that the machine has an easier time understanding (for example: Machine Code, and Assembly), Python uses a set of English-language keywords that help us (humans) code in such system. This does mean that a Python program must be translated to machine level (low-level) code to be executed by a computer.
Python is an interpreted language. This is where it differs from a non-interpreted language like Java. Python translate its lines of code one at a time to a language that our computer machine can understand. Once such translated line is executed at the machine level, a Python program will move on to the next line of code/instruction. An opposite example would be a compiled language like Java. A compiled language will translate the entire program into a machine code file then execute the program.
this is a very generalized explanation of two types of languages.
Python 3 is the current and latest build of the Python language. Python 3 will go through its own evolution hence there are multiple levels/versions of Python 3 as well. To get a better sense of this, Python used to have a very popular version/iteration called “Python 2.7”. Currently, there are no major changes that we must worry about between different iterations of Python 3; however, it is truly recommended that for this course, and onwards, that you use Python 3.
TechWithTim's Python Tutorial (YouTube Playlist)
MIT OpenCourseWare Python 101 (YouTube Playlist)
Harvard CS50 w/ Python (YouTube Video - LONG)
Complete Learning Python Reference (Reddit - Wiki)