10 Questions
What is Python's type system?
Dynamically typed
What is the main design philosophy of Python?
Code readability with the use of significant indentation
Who is the creator of Python?
Guido van Rossum
What is the main reason Python is called a 'batteries included' language?
It has a comprehensive standard library
When was Python 2.0 released?
2000
What is the primary purpose of the 2to3 utility in Python 3?
To automate the translation of Python 2 code to Python 3
What is the current status of Python 2.7 and older versions?
They are officially unsupported
What was the main reason for postponing the end-of-life of Python 2.7 from 2015 to 2020?
Due to the concern that a large body of existing code could not easily be forward-ported to Python 3
What is the current stable release of Python as of October 2023?
Python 3.12
What is a notable change in Python 3.11 compared to Python 3.10?
Increased program execution speed
Study Notes
General Characteristics
- 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
- Guido van Rossum began working on Python in the late 1980s as a successor to the ABC programming language.
- Python 0.9.0 was first released in 1991.
- Python 2.0 was released in 2000, featuring list comprehensions, cycle-detecting garbage collection, reference counting, and Unicode support.
- Python 3.0 was released in 2008, with many major new features, but not completely backward-compatible with earlier versions.
- Python 2.7.18 was the last release of Python 2, released in 2020.
- Guido van Rossum stepped down as the lead developer in 2018, and a five-member Steering Council was elected to lead the project in 2019.
Releases and Support
- Only Python 3.8 and later versions are currently supported (as of 2023).
- Python 2.7 and older versions are officially unsupported, but PyPy continues to support Python 2 with backported security updates.
- Security updates were expedited in 2021, 2022, and 2023 due to security issues.
- As of October 2023, Python 3.12 is the stable release, with active support, and Python 3.11 and 3.12 are the only versions with active support.
Notable Changes
- Python 3.10 added increased program execution speed and improved error reporting.
- Python 3.11 added syntax for exception handling.
- Python 3.12 added syntax for the new (soft) keyword type, among other changes.
Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language with a focus on code readability and a comprehensive standard library. Learn about its features, design philosophy, and programming paradigms.
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