Questions and Answers
What was the initial end-of-life date for Python 2.7?
Which Python implementation continues to support Python 2?
What is Python's design philosophy?
What was added to Python 3.10?
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Which Python versions are currently supported as of 2023?
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What is Guido van Rossum's current title in the Python community?
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What was improved in Python 3.11?
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What was released in 2008 and was a major revision not completely backward-compatible with earlier versions?
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What is Python often described as due to its comprehensive standard library?
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What was the inspiration for the ABC programming language?
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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
Learn about Python, a high-level, general-purpose programming language that emphasizes code readability and supports multiple programming paradigms. Discover its features and standard library.
