Python Lesson 1 Notes
Python Lesson 1 Notes
Python Lesson 1 Notes
Why Python?
Summary Notes
2
Contents
3 Target audience
3 Why Python?
5 Characteristics of Python
5 Applications of Python
Stack Overflow
Community
Meetup Community
GitHub Community
Why Python?
Python is a general-purpose interpreted, interactive, object-oriented, and high-level programming language. No need to
panic, all these terms will be clearly explained as you make your way through the course. Python is free and open-source.
The source code is also available under the GNU General Public License (GPL). The design philosophy of Python
emphasises code readability, and its syntax is easy to read and allows programmers to express their concepts in fewer
lines of codes compared to the C language.
Python is interactive: You can use a Python prompt to interact with the interpreter directly to write your program.
Python is Object-Oriented: With Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), complex problems can be divided into smaller
sets by creating objects within a code.
Python is a beginner-friendly Language: It is more forgiving on errors, which makes it easier to debug the code.
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Characteristics of Python
Python is a flexible and simple coding programming language, which can support different styles of programming
including structural and object-oriented programming.
• It supports functional and structural programming methods as well as Object Oriented Programming.
• It can be used as a scripting language or it can be compiled to byte-code for building large applications.
• It supports automatic garbage collection. You do not have to worry about the daunting tasks such as
memory management and garbage collection.
• It is extensible and embeddable. It can easily be integrated with C, C++, COM, Active X, COBRA, and Java
programming languages to speed-up performance.
• Python has a few keywords, simple structure, and a clearly defined syntax. This makes it easy to learn.
• Python code is more clearly defined and brief on syntax which makes it easy to read.
Applications of Python
Python dominates a wide range of programming application areas. Below is a list of general application and use
cases for Python:
• Google
• Bit Torrent
• Intel
• Cisco
• Seagate
• IBM
• NASA
• iRobot, and there are many more.
•
• Stability
• Writability
• Reliability
• Appropriate Data structures
• Availability and cost
• Demand
• Community Support
• Operating Systems
• Extensions and Libraries available
Looking at the criteria points above; the points shows that Python language fits the bill to be the language that should
be first taught above all other programming languages. Hence that is why Python is now becoming the most widely
used language.
Meetup Community
Python has the 3rd largest Meetup community. Meetups are a good place to network and learn from experienced
and fellow developers.
GitHub Community
GitHub is a platform that connects a huge community of programmers/developers from all corners of 5 the world,
the platform is opensource and allows developers/programmers to share codes for free.
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Bibliography
• Alan D. Moore. Mark Summerfield: Rapid GUI Programming with Python
• and Qt.
• K.R Srinath. Python, the fastest growing programming language, 2017.
• Ghazala Sheikh and Noman Islam. A qualitative study of major programming
• languages: teaching programming languages to computer science students. International Journal of
Information and Communication Technology, 01 2016.
• R. Mason, G. Cooper, and Michael de Raadt. Trends in introductory programming courses in australian
universities: languages, environments and pedagogy.
• In ACE 2012, 2012.
• Aaquib Javed. An Analysis on Python Programming Language Demand and
• it’s Recent Trend in Bangladesh, 2019.
• Stephen OGardy. The RedMonk Programming Language Rankings, 2020.
• Amirali Sanatinia and Guevara Noubir. On github’s programming languages,
• 2016, 1603.00431.
• Google Trends.
• MultiMedia LLC. MS Windows NT kernel descriptio, 1999.
• Yaofei Chen, R. Dios, A. Mili, Lan Wu, and Kefei Wang. An empirical study
• of programming language trends. IEEE Software, 22(3):72–79, 2005.
• Anna. How big the demand for Python in 2019 is, or, Why Python Has Suddenly Become So Popular.