Darthfett
Aerospace/Cybersecurity Software Engineer
- Reaction score
- 615
1. What is Python?
Python is an interpreted, object oriented, high level programming language. It is often used
for rapid application development, as well as a scripting language to glue existing programs together.
2. Why use Python?
Python is a good all around language, and is often chosen for its unique features:
- Python code is easy to read and maintain, due to its white-space formatted structure
- Since Python does not need compilation, it is much faster to debug than other languages
- Python is often much shorter than Java or C++ programs
- Python is an easy language to learn, and is often recommended as a beginner language
Other neat stuff:
- Python can run on Windows, Linux/Unix, OS/2, Mac, Amiga, and others
- Python is open source
- Python integrates well with many other languages, such as C, C++, and JAVA.
Here are a few of the cons to the language:
- Python runs much slower than other languages, as it is interpreted rather than compiled.
- Lack of true multiprocessor support
3. Where can I get Python and Python Support?
The python interpreter can be downloaded off of Python's site:
http://www.python.org/download/
As with many programming languages, you can learn from the official documentation, or the tutorials here:
http://www.python.org/doc/
Python also has a community/wiki here:
http://wiki.python.org/moin/