Python in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

The Python Language

The Python language, while not minimalist, is rather spare for good pragmatic reasons. Once a language offers one good way to express a design idea, adding other ways has only modest benefits, while the cost in terms of language complexity grows more than linearly with the number of features. A complicated language is harder to learn and master (and implement efficiently and without bugs) than a simpler one. Any complications and quirks in a language hamper productivity in software maintenance, particularly in large projects, where many developers cooperate and often maintain code originally written by others.

Python is simple, but not simplistic. It adheres to the idea that if a language behaves a certain way in some contexts, it should ideally work similarly in all contexts. Python also follows the principle that a language should not have “convenient” shortcuts, special cases, ad hoc exceptions, overly subtle distinctions, or mysterious and tricky under-the-covers optimizations. A good language, like any other designed artifact, must balance such general principles with taste, common sense, and a high degree of practicality.

Python is a general-purpose programming language, so Python’s traits are useful in just about any area of software development. There is no area where Python cannot be part of an optimal solution. “Part” is an important word here; while many developers find that Python fills all of their needs, Python does not have to stand alone. Python ...