Python is an open-source, general purpose, a high-level programming language created by Guido Van Russum in 1991. It was designed with an emphasis on code readability.
Python programming language is widely used from web development to machine learning applications and is one of the most popular programming languages as of 2020. It is popular among both new learners and experienced programmers.
Python’s syntax is simple to understand and use, which is a significant advantage for those of you who are trying to learn a programming language.
Python is also a cross-platform programming language, which means it can be run on multiple platforms, i.e., Windows, Linux, macOS, etc. with ease.
Why is it called Python?
“When he began implementing Python, Guido van Rossum was also reading the published scripts from ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’…he needed a name that was short, unique, and slightly mysterious, so he decided to call the language Python.”
python.org
What can you use Python For?
As mentioned above, Python is a general-purpose programming language which can be used on various domains as below: General Web Development / Building Web AppsMachine Learning and Artificial IntelligenceData Science and Data VisualizationGUI based Desktop ProgramsGame Development
General Web Development / Building Web Apps
Python programming language offers plenty of pre-built libraries and frameworks like Django, Flask, Pyramid, etc. which help build web applications rapidly with ease. These frameworks provide security, scalability, convenience during development.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Python has been the preferred language for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence developers for a long time. Python offers the needed flexibility and features, not to mention the extensive libraries such as Pandas, ScikitLearn, NumPy, and so much more, which help developers boost their productivity and work quality well.
Data Science and Data Visualization
Python programming language helps to study, analyze, and perform operations to extract information from any data set. Frameworks in Python, such as NumPy, SciPy, and Scikit-Learn help you retrieve data, while frameworks like Matplotib and Seaborn help with data visualization.
GUI based Desktop Programs
Python can be a basic tool to develop flexible and reliable Graphics User Interface (GUI) based desktop applications. You can create simple desktop applications like a calculator to much more complicated ones using Python as per the functionality required.
Several Python-based frameworks or packages are available to get the help you develop an application. Tkinter is the most popular built-in package to create a simple desktop app. It runs on all of the most popular platforms like Microsoft, Linux, and Mac OS X.
Some other popular frameworks for GUI are PyQt, PySide, Kivy, WxPython, PyGUI, etc.
Game Development
Frameworks like Pygame, PyKyra, Pyglet, PyOpenGL, and Panda3D, etc., allows developers to write and develop games using Python language much easier. Battlefield 2, Pirates of the Caribbean are some examples of video games that used Python for a number of its add-ons and functionalities.