Chapter 1. Why Python for Finance
Banks are essentially technology firms.
Hugo Banziger
The Python Programming Language
Python is a high-level, multipurpose programming language that is used in a wide range of domains and technical fields. On the Python website you find the following executive summary:
Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics. Its high-level built in data structures, combined with dynamic typing and dynamic binding, make it very attractive for Rapid Application Development, as well as for use as a scripting or glue language to connect existing components together. Python’s simple, easy to learn syntax emphasizes readability and therefore reduces the cost of program maintenance. Python supports modules and packages, which encourages program modularity and code reuse. The Python interpreter and the extensive standard library are available in source or binary form without charge for all major platforms, and can be freely distributed.
This pretty well describes why Python has evolved into one of the major programming languages today. Nowadays, Python is used by the beginner programmer as well as by the highly skilled expert developer, at schools, in universities, at web companies, in large corporations and financial institutions, as well as in any scientific field.
Among other features, Python is:
- Open source
-
Python and the majority of supporting libraries and tools available are open source and generally ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access