Learning Python, 3rd Edition

Chapter 1. A Python Q&A Session

If you’ve bought this book, you may already know what Python is, and why it’s an important tool to learn. If you don’t, you probably won’t be sold on Python until you’ve learned the language by reading the rest of this book and have done a project or two. But before we jump into details, the first few pages of this book will briefly introduce some of the main reasons behind Python’s popularity. To begin sculpting a definition of Python, this chapter takes the form of a question-and-answer session, which poses some of the most common questions asked by beginners.

Why Do People Use Python?

Because there are many programming languages available today, this is the usual first question of newcomers. Given that there are roughly 1 million Python users out there at the moment, there really is no way to answer this question with complete accuracy. The choice of development tools is sometimes based on unique constraints or personal preference.

But after teaching Python to roughly 200 groups and 3,000 students during the last 10 years, some common themes have emerged. The primary factors cited by Python users seem to be these:

Software quality

For many, Python’s focus on readability, coherence, and software quality in general sets it apart from other tools in the scripting world. Python code is designed to be readable, and hence, reusable and maintainable—much more so than traditional scripting languages. The uniformity of Python code makes it easy to understand, ...