Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is a distinctive feature of Python's design philosophy?
What is a distinctive feature of Python's design philosophy?
What type of programming paradigms does Python support?
What type of programming paradigms does Python support?
What is Python often referred to as due to its comprehensive standard library?
What is Python often referred to as due to its comprehensive standard library?
Who is credited with beginning work on Python in the late 1980s?
Who is credited with beginning work on Python in the late 1980s?
Signup and view all the answers
When was Python 2.0 released?
When was Python 2.0 released?
Signup and view all the answers
What was the initial end-of-life date set for Python 2.7?
What was the initial end-of-life date set for Python 2.7?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the purpose of the 2to3 utility in Python 3?
What is the purpose of the 2to3 utility in Python 3?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the current status of Python 2.7?
What is the current status of Python 2.7?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the purpose of the expedited security updates in 2021 and 2022?
What is the purpose of the expedited security updates in 2021 and 2022?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the latest stable release of Python as of October 2023?
What is the latest stable release of Python as of October 2023?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
General Properties of Python
- Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language.
- It emphasizes code readability with significant indentation.
- Python is dynamically typed and garbage-collected.
- It supports multiple programming paradigms, including structured, object-oriented, and functional programming.
History of Python
- Python was invented in the late 1980s by Guido van Rossum as a successor to the ABC programming language.
- The implementation of Python began in December 1989.
- Guido van Rossum was the lead developer and "benevolent dictator for life" until 2018.
- In 2019, a five-member Steering Council was elected to lead the project.
Releases of Python
- Python 2.0 was released in 2000 with major new features like list comprehensions, cycle-detecting garbage collection, reference counting, and Unicode support.
- Python 3.0 was released in 2008 with many major features backported to Python 2.6.x and 2.7.x.
- Python 2.7's end-of-life was initially set for 2015, then postponed to 2020.
- Only Python 3.8 and later are supported as of 2023.
- Python 3.11 and 3.12 are the only versions with active support as of October 2023.
Notable Changes in Recent Releases
- Python 3.11 increased program execution speed and improved error reporting.
- Python 3.12 adds syntax to the language, including the new (soft) keyword type.
- Python 3.10 added a new type union operator and improved exception handling.
- Python 3.10 and 3.11 added support for exception handling and the match and case statements.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Learn about the general properties and history of Python, a high-level programming language that emphasizes code readability and supports multiple programming paradigms.
