Questions and Answers
What is a key feature of Python's design philosophy?
What is Python often described as due to its comprehensive standard library?
Who shouldered sole responsibility for the Python project as its lead developer until 2018?
When was Python 2.0 released?
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What was Guido van Rossum's title in the Python community?
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What was the initial end-of-life date set for Python 2.7?
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Which Python versions are currently supported as of 2023?
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What is the purpose of the 2to3 utility in Python 3?
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What was added to Python 3.10?
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What is the latest stable release of Python as of October 2023?
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Study Notes
Overview 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.
Key Features
- Supports multiple programming paradigms, including structured, object-oriented, and functional programming.
- Described as a "batteries included" language due to its comprehensive standard library.
History
- Guido van Rossum invented Python in the late 1980s as a successor to the ABC programming language.
- First released in 1991 as Python 0.9.0.
- Python 2.0 was released in 2000, and Python 3.0 was released in 2008, which was a major revision not completely backward-compatible with earlier versions.
Development and Leadership
- Guido van Rossum was the lead developer until 2018, and was titled "benevolent dictator for life" (BDFL).
- In 2019, a five-member Steering Council was elected to lead the project.
Releases
- Python 2.7.18 was the last release of Python 2 in 2020.
- Python 3.x releases include the 2to3 utility, which automates the translation of Python 2 code to Python 3.
- As of 2023, only Python 3.8 and later are supported, with security issues fixed in earlier versions.
- PyPy, an unofficial Python implementation, continues to support Python 2 with backported security updates.
Security Updates
- Security updates were expedited in 2021 and 2022 due to security issues affecting all Python versions.
- In 2022, Python 3.10.4, 3.9.12, and 3.8.13 were released due to many security issues.
- As of October 2023, Python 3.12 is the stable release, and 3.12 and 3.11 are the only versions with active support.
Notable Changes
- Python 3.10 added the | union type operator and the match and case keywords.
- Python 3.11 expanded exception handling functionality and increased program execution speed.
- Python 3.12 added the new keyword type.
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Description
Discover the basics of Python, a high-level programming language that emphasizes code readability and supports multiple programming paradigms. Learn about its key features and history.
