# Python

> general-purpose programming language

**Wikidata**: [Q28865](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28865)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_(programming_language))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/python

## Summary

Python is part of the free software movement . The programming language was influenced by ALGOL 68, ABC, Modula-3, C++, Java, Lisp, and two additional languages [1][2][3][4][5][6].

## Summary
Python is a general-purpose, high-level, interpreted programming language created by Guido van Rossum. First released on February 20, 1991, it is designed to be versatile and supports multiple programming paradigms, including object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming. Python is widely used for software and web development, data analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

## Key Facts
- **Creator:** Guido van Rossum
- **Initial Release Date:** February 20, 1991
- **Governing Body:** Python Software Foundation
- **Primary Classification:** High-level, interpreted, multi-paradigm, object-based programming language
- **Typing Discipline:** Supports dynamic typing, duck typing, and gradual typing
- **Operating System:** Cross-platform
- **License:** Python Software Foundation License
- **Primary Influence:** The ABC programming language
- **Official Website:** https://www.python.org/

## FAQs
### Q: What is Python used for?
A: Python is a general-purpose language used across many domains, including software development, web development, machine learning, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and computational science. Its extensive libraries, such as scikit-learn for machine learning, make it particularly popular in data-driven fields.

### Q: Who created Python?
A: Python was created by Guido van Rossum, a Dutch programmer. He is listed as the original designer and continues to be a key developer, along with the Python Software Foundation.

### Q: Why is it named Python?
A: The programming language is named after the British comedy troupe Monty Python. This is confirmed in the foreword for the book "Programming Python," written by its creator, Guido van Rossum.

## Why It Matters
Python's significance lies in its versatility and accessibility, which have made it one of the world's most popular programming languages. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability and a syntax that allows programmers to express concepts in fewer lines of code than might be possible in languages like C++ or Java. This simplicity lowers the barrier to entry for new programmers and accelerates development for professionals.

Python's impact is most profound in the fields of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, where its powerful libraries (like scikit-learn, pandas, and TensorFlow) have become industry standards. It serves as a crucial bridge between scientific research and production-level software. Furthermore, as a cross-platform and open-source language under the free software movement, Python provides a robust, free, and widely supported tool for developers building everything from simple scripts to complex web applications and enterprise-level systems.

## Notable For
- **Multi-Paradigm Support:** Python is not limited to a single programming style; it natively supports imperative, functional, object-oriented, and dynamic programming paradigms.
- **Extensive Applications:** The language is used in a wide array of fields, including web development, computational science, data analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
- **Dynamic and Duck Typing:** Python uses dynamic typing, where variable types are checked at runtime, and duck typing, a concept where the suitability of an object is determined by the presence of its methods and properties rather than its explicit type.
- **Named After a Comedy Group:** Uniquely among major programming languages, Python is named after the British comedy group Monty Python, reflecting a part of its developer culture.

## Body
### History and Development
- **Creator:** Python was designed by Guido van Rossum.
- **Inception:** The language was first released on February 20, 1991.
- **Name Origin:** It is named after the comedy troupe Monty Python.
- **Governance:** Development is overseen by the Python Software Foundation.
- **Influences:** Python was significantly influenced by several other languages, most notably ABC. Other influences include Modula-3, Lisp, Java, ALGOL 68, and APL.

### Technical Characteristics
- **Type:** Python is a high-level, interpreted, general-purpose programming language.
- **Paradigms:** It is a multi-paradigm language supporting:
    - Object-oriented programming
    - Imperative programming
    - Functional programming
    - Dynamic programming
- **Typing System:** Python's typing discipline is dynamic, and it also employs duck typing and gradual typing.
- **Platform:** It is a cross-platform language, capable of running on various operating systems.
- **License:** The language is distributed under the Python Software Foundation License.

### Ecosystem and Usage
- **Common Uses:** Python is applied in software development, web development, machine learning, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and computational science.
- **Implementations:** Besides the primary CPython implementation, other versions exist, such as Jython, which is an implementation of Python that runs on the Java platform.
- **Standard Libraries and Tools:** Python includes a built-in integrated development environment (IDE) called IDLE. It has a rich ecosystem of libraries for various tasks, such as `urllib` for HTTP connections and `Setuptools` for package development.
- **Third-Party Libraries:** The language is known for its vast collection of third-party packages, including:
    - **scikit-learn:** A library for machine learning.
    - **pendulum** and **arrow:** Libraries for easier date and time handling.
    - **MkDocs:** A static site generator.

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## References

1. [Source](https://www.python.org/doc/essays/comparisons/)
2. [Source](http://www.oznetnerd.com/python-strong-dynamically-typed-language/)
3. [Source](https://docs.python.org/3/howto/functional.html)
4. [Source](https://www.python.org/doc/essays/blurb/)
5. [Source](https://docs.python.org/3/faq/general.html#what-is-python)
6. [Foreword for "Programming Python" (1st ed.). 1996](https://www.python.org/doc/essays/foreword/)
7. [History and License - Python documentation](https://docs.python.org/3/license.html)
8. [The python Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/python/analyses/latest/languages_summary)
9. [The Python Programming Language Source Code. GitHub](https://github.com/python/cpython/search?l=c)
10. [Download Python](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
11. [Source](https://hg.python.org/cpython/raw-file/v2.7.6/Misc/NEWS)
12. [Source](http://www.python.org/news/)
13. [Source](https://www.python.org/news/)
14. [Source](https://www.python.org/blogs/)
15. [Source](https://docs.python.org/3.4/whatsnew/changelog.html#python-3-4-2)
16. [Source](https://docs.python.org/3.4/whatsnew/changelog.html#python-3-4-3)
17. [Source](https://hg.python.org/cpython/raw-file/v2.7.9/Misc/NEWS)
18. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-2710/)
19. [Source](http://blog.python.org/2015/09/python-350-has-been-released.html)
20. [Python 3.5.1 and 3.4.4rc1 are now available](https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2015-December/011001.html)
21. [Python 2.7.11](https://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-announce-list/2015-December/010999.html)
22. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-2712/)
23. [Source](https://www.python.org/download/releases/3.5.2/)
24. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-360/)
25. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-2713/)
26. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-361/)
27. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-362/)
28. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-2714/)
29. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-363/)
30. [Source](http://blog.python.org/2017/12/python-364-is-now-available.html)
31. [Python 3.7.0. 2018](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-370/)
32. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-365/)
33. [Source](https://www.python.org/download/releases/2.0/)
34. [Source](https://www.python.org/download/releases/1.6/)
35. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-2715/)
36. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-371/)
37. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-367/)
38. [Python 3.6.8](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-368/)
39. [Python 3.7.2](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-372/)
40. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-373/)
41. [2019](https://blog.python.org/2019/03/python-2716-released.html)
42. [Source](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-357/)
43. [Python 3.6.9. 2019](https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-369/)
44. [2019](https://pythoninsider.blogspot.com/2019/07/python-374-is-now-available.html)
45. [Source](https://python-history.blogspot.com/2009/01/brief-timeline-of-python.html)
46. [Python 3.8.0 is now available. 2019](https://pythoninsider.blogspot.com/2019/10/python-380-is-now-available.html)
47. [Python 3.8 erschienen. 2019](https://www.pro-linux.de/news/1/27513/python-38-erschienen.html)
48. [Python 3.7.5 is now available. 2019](https://pythoninsider.blogspot.com/2019/10/python-375-is-now-available.html)
49. [Python 2.7.17 released. 2019](https://pythoninsider.blogspot.com/2019/10/python-2717-released.html)
50. [Python 3.5.8 is now available. 2019](https://pythoninsider.blogspot.com/2019/10/python-358-is-now-available.html)