2.1. Python Language Fundamentals: Introduction to the Python Language
The Python language is a high-level programming language, created by Guido van Rossum in 1991. It is a general-purpose language that stands out for its simple and readable syntax, making it an excellent choice for programming beginners. Python is an interpreted language, which means code is executed line by line, making it easier to debug and test code.
Python is a dynamically typed language, which means that it is not necessary to declare the data type of a variable when creating it. Furthermore, Python supports several programming paradigms, including object-oriented programming, imperative programming, and functional programming. This gives developers great flexibility in choosing how to solve problems.
Why Python?
Python is widely used in several areas, including web development, data analysis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, automation, and more. Python's clear and concise syntax allows developers to focus on the logic of the problem rather than worrying about the syntax of the code. Additionally, Python has a large community of developers, which means there are plenty of resources and support available.
Installing Python
Installing Python is simple. You can download Python from the official website (www.python.org) and follow the installation instructions for your specific operating system. Most operating systems come with Python pre-installed. To check if you have Python installed, you can open a terminal and type "python --version".
Running Python code
There are several ways to execute Python code. You can write Python code in a text file with the .py extension and run it from the command line using the "python filename.py" command. Alternatively, you can use an integrated development environment (IDE) like PyCharm or Jupyter Notebook, which offer features like syntax highlighting, debugging, and running code in individual cells.
Basic Python syntax
Python uses indentation to delimit blocks of code. This means that white space at the beginning of a line is important. This is one of the aspects that makes Python so readable. Additionally, Python uses the # character to indicate a comment. Anything after the # on the same line is ignored by the Python interpreter.
Python has a variety of built-in data types, including integers (int), floating point numbers (float), strings (str), and booleans (bool). Python also has several collection data types, such as lists, tuples, and dictionaries.
Python supports the usual arithmetic operators (+, -, *, /), as well as integer division (//) and the modulus operator (%). Python also has comparison operators (==, !=, <, >, <=, >=) and logical operators (and, or, not).
Python has a variety of flow control structures, including conditionals (if, elif, else) and loops (for, while). Python also supports list comprehension, which is a concise way to create lists.
In summary, Python is a powerful and flexible programming language with a clear and readable syntax. It is an excellent choice for beginners and is widely used in a variety of fields. With Python, you can do everything from writing simple scripts to building complex machine learning systems.
