The programming language you will be learning is Python. Python is an example
of a high-level language; other high-level languages you might have heard
of are C++, PHP, and Java. As you might infer from the name high-level language, there are also
low-level languages, sometimes referred to as machine languages or assembly
languages. Machine language is the encoding of instructions in binary so that they can be directly executed by the computer. Assembly language uses a slightly easier format to refer to the low level instructions.
Loosely speaking, computers can only execute programs written in
low-level languages. To be exact, computers can actually only execute programs written in machine language. Thus, programs written in a high-level language (and even those in assembly language) have to be
processed before they can run. This extra processing takes some time, which is
a small disadvantage of high-level languages.
However, the advantages to high-level languages are enormous. First, it is much easier to program in a
high-level language. Programs written in a high-level language take less time
to write, they are shorter and easier to read, and they are more likely to be
correct. Second, high-level languages are portable, meaning that they can
run on different kinds of computers with few or no modifications. Low-level
programs can run on only one kind of computer and have to be rewritten to run
on another. Due to these advantages, almost all programs are written in high-level
languages. Low-level languages are used only for a few specialized
applications. Two kinds of programs process high-level languages into low-level languages:
interpreters and compilers. An interpreter reads a high-level program
and executes it, meaning that it does what the program says. It processes the
program a little at a time, alternately reading lines and performing
computations. A compiler reads the program and translates it completely before the program
starts running. In this case, the high-level program is called the source
code, and the translated program is called the object code or the
executable. Once a program is compiled, you can execute it repeatedly
without further translation. Many modern languages use both processes. They are first compiled into a lower
level language, called byte code, and then interpreted by a program called
a virtual machine. Python uses both processes, but because of the way
programmers interact with it, it is usually considered an interpreted language. There are two ways to use the Python interpreter: shell mode and program
mode. In shell mode, you type Python expressions into the Python shell,
and the interpreter immediately shows the result. The example below shows the Python shell at work. $ python3
Python 3.2 (r32:88445, Mar 25 2011, 19:28:28)
[GCC 4.5.2] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> 2 + 3
5
>>>
The >>> is called the Python prompt. The interpreter uses the prompt to indicate that it is ready for instructions. We typed 2 + 3. The interpreter evaluated our expression and replied 5. On the next line it gave a new prompt indicating that it is ready for more input. Working directly in the interpreter is convenient for testing short bits of code because you get immediate feedback. Think of it as scratch paper used to help you work out problems. Alternatively, you can write an entire program by placing lines of Python instructions in a file and then use the interpreter to execute the contents of the file as a whole. Such a file is often referred to as source code. For example, we used a text editor to create a source code file named firstprogram.py with the following contents: print("My first program adds two numbers, 2 and 3:") print(2 + 3) By convention, files that contain Python programs have names that end with .py . Following this convention will help your operating system and other programs identify a file as containing python code. $ python firstprogram.py My first program adds two numbers, 2 and 3: 5 These examples show Python being run from a Unix command line. In other development environments, the details of executing programs may differ. Also, most programs are more interesting than this one. Check your understanding
Source code is another name for:
Pick the best replacements for 1 and 2 in the following sentence: When comparing compilers and interpreters, a compiler is like 1 while an interpreter is like 2.
Python is a general-purpose programming language that runs on almost all system architectures and can be used for a wide range of applications in different fields, from web development to machine learning. On top of its versatility, the language is also beginner-friendly, making it one of the most popular programming languages available. If you want to learn more about Python and its most common use cases, this article may be right for you. We will explain why you should learn Python, what it is used for, and give 10 examples of well-known companies that utilize it.
Get to know what is Python, one of the most popular programming languages!
Subscribe For more educational videos! Hostinger Academy Why You Should Learn PythonThis section will explain several reasons why learning how to code in the Python programming language may benefit you. Python Is Free and Open-SourcePython is an open-source language administered by the Python Software Foundation – a non-profit corporation that owns Python-related intellectual property. People can use and distribute the Python source code for free, even for commercial purposes. Nowadays, anyone with a computer and a strong will to learn can teach themselves how to code in Python. To download the latest version of Python, simply access the official Python website, click Downloads on the navigation bar, and hit the Download Python button. The default version is for Windows, but Python is also available for other operating systems, including Linux and macOS. As of 2022, Python 3 is considered the most up-to-date language version. Meanwhile, its predecessor Python 2 was sunsetted in January 2020 and is no longer updated with bug fixes, new features, or security patches. Python Is Easy to LearnWhen learning to code, beginners may find it difficult to understand how a programming language works, especially if it is very different from their native language. As one of the easiest programming languages to learn, Python uses simple syntax with lots of English keywords. It was designed to be a concise language with high readability. This makes it more beginner-friendly compared to other languages like C++ and Haskell. In addition to its simplicity and consistency, another factor contributing to Python’s ease of use is that it is an interpreted programming language, as opposed to a compiled one like C or C++. This means you can run each line of code as soon as you finish writing it and see immediate results, making adjustments if needed. As a result, this saves programmers a lot of time, helping them catch errors quickly and easily. Lots of Job Opportunities With High Salaries for Python DevelopersPython is one of the most in-demand programming languages due to its simplicity and versatility. In addition, it is one of the highest-paying programming languages in 2022. In fact, the average Python developer salary in the United States is $108,043/year. Another research assessing LinkedIn job postings in the United States and Europe shows that Python is number one in terms of job demand in 2022, with over 200,000 job offers in the United States and 50,000 in Europe. If you’re considering becoming a freelance web developer, Python can also lead you to lucrative job opportunities. According to a survey on the highest paying programming languages for freelancers in 2022, Python is number one on the list, with an average rate of $55-60/hour. Python Is Popular in the CommunityAccording to the TIOBE Programming Community Index that indicates the popularity of programming languages, Python occupies the number one position as of April 2022.
The huge Python community means programmers have many people to turn to when they have questions and coding problems. For example, on the coding question and answer platform Stack Overflow, there are over 1 million questions carrying the Python tag. There are also over 2 million repositories tagged with Python on GitHub, the code hosting platform programmers use for version control and collaboration. Python users can also visit official forums to discuss various topics related to the language, community, and the Python Software Foundation. In addition to its large online communities, many Python User Groups have monthly informal offline meetings to share tips and tricks. There are over 1,000 groups with more than 800,000 Python users worldwide. Python Is VersatileBesides being easy to learn, Python is also popular due to its versatility. The language’s usage spans multiple fields, including data science, web development, and machine learning. Python is also a cross-platform language, indicating it can work on various operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS. Moreover, this popular coding language can run alongside other languages. The CPython reference implementation, for example, is written in C and Python. Other implementation examples include Jython, written in Java and Python, and IronPython, created in Python and C# and integrated with the .NET framework. Furthermore, there are over 100,000 Python libraries. A library is a collection of pre-written code programmers can use to perform certain repetitive tasks. The numerous libraries or frameworks are used for different purposes across various fields. Programmers can save time by using them instead of writing and rewriting frequently used code sequences. What Is Python Used For?Some of the most common use cases of the Python programming language include web development, automation, software testing, data analysis, machine learning, and game development. Let’s discuss these use cases in more detail. Web DevelopmentWeb development is the practice of making websites and maintaining them. There are two main parts of a website – front-end and back-end. Also known as the client side of the application, the front-end refers to the part of a website visitors directly interact with. This includes elements like images, buttons, and the navigation menu. On the other hand, the back-end refers to the part of a website site visitors do not directly see. The server side or the back-end stores website data and makes sure everything on the front-end works smoothly. Python is a back-end programming language. Web developers can use Python code to transfer data to and from servers, interact with databases, and manage a site’s security. There are many Python frameworks often used in web development, including:
Automation and System ScriptingAutomation refers to making computers or machines complete tasks without human intervention. Meanwhile, scripting refers to writing code to create the automated system. As a scripting language, Python can be used to automate various tasks for both programmers and non-programmers. Some examples of the tasks the automation scripts can perform are as follows:
Software TestingOne of the most important parts of developing software is the quality assurance process. To maintain excellent customer satisfaction, software companies must ensure their product offers a high-quality, consistent, and smooth user experience. However, they also have to release their software and its updates quickly and efficiently to keep up with competitors. This is where test automation comes in. Automated testing or test automation means using computers to run tests, manage test data, and analyze test results automatically to improve software quality. This is similar to the automation we described in the previous section but more specific to the field of software development. Test automation is great for repetitive tasks, such as regression and functional testing. On the other hand, tests requiring real people’s judgment and opinions – like usability, beta, and A/B testing – are best done manually. Python’s versatility, scalability, and popularity make it ideal for building test automation solutions for developing software. Here are some Python modules software engineers often use for software testing:
Data Analysis and Machine LearningPython has become an integral part of data science and artificial intelligence since the language is easy to learn, versatile, and flexible. Scientists and analysts use Python code to mine big data, build machine learning algorithms, manipulate and analyze data, and perform complex statistical calculations. People can also use this popular language to create varying types of data visualizations, including pie charts, line and bar graphs, 3D plots, and histograms. The Python language also has a vast collection of libraries useful for data analysis and machine learning. Here are some examples:
Game DevelopmentPython’s simplicity makes it great for creating basic games or rapid prototyping complex ones. Popular games written in Python include The Sims 4, World of Tanks, EVE Online, and Civilization IV. The beginner-friendly and simple syntax means rookie game developers can learn Python quickly and use it to create graphical user interfaces, build 2D and 3D games, as well as make visual novel and physics-based games. Professional game developers can use Python code to quickly build prototypes of their games and present a playable visualization to investors to gather funding. To deliver game prototypes in the quickest and most efficient manner, game developers can take advantage of many Python frameworks for game development. Here are some of the most commonly used ones:
Who Uses the Python Programming LanguageMany services we use in everyday life are coded using Python. In this section, we will discuss ten famous companies that use Python to provide their services and run business operations. 1. Google
As one of Google’s main server-side languages along with Java, C++, and Go, Python is used extensively in its internal system, applications, APIs, as well as its artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics projects. For example, Google developers use Python for Google’s build system, internal package format, system administration tools, and code review tool. In addition, its core search algorithms were written in C++ and Python. Google also uses Python in building YouTube. The language is used for running the platform in various ways, such as for data analysis and visualization, viewing and administering videos, and controlling website templates. 2. Facebook
Developers at Facebook use Python in numerous areas, including production engineering, platform services, and server configuration management. More specifically, Python powers processes like hardware imaging, operational automation, binary distribution, server and infrastructure maintenance, and automatic service failure remedies. 3. Instagram
Instagram uses Python for most of its business logic. This refers to the algorithms for handling back-end operations related to the information exchange between the user interface and the database. To improve operational efficiency, developers at Instagram also use Django, a reliable Python framework with components for both front-end and back-end applications. 4. Dropbox
Although many of its internal processes are not publicly available, Dropbox developers have confirmed that Python is used in various parts of their infrastructure, operations, and software development, especially for its desktop app and back-end services. Most of its server-side code was also written in Python. In addition, Dropbox has released a Python software development kit for people looking to integrate the service with the Python app. 5. Spotify
Spotify uses the Apache Hadoop software library with the Luigi Python package to collect data and manage its recommendation system. Around 90% of its MapReduce jobs are written in Python, with over 6,000 individual processes running in the Hadoop cluster. Luigi also powers internal dashboards, external reports, and other Spotify features like Radio, Discover, and top lists. In addition, developers at Spotify use gevent, a library for asynchronous and concurrent programming in Python, to speed up coding processes and achieve scalability. 6. Reddit
Developers at Reddit use various Python modules, such as rollingpin to increase deployment rate to servers, aws-mfa to manage the AWS Multi-Factor Authentication system, and monitors to keep track of all operations. They also use Baseplate.py to glue together the tools for interacting with the back-end ecosystem. It is used with client libraries, Apache Thrift, and the Pyramid Python web framework. 7. Uber
Python makes up a significant portion of Uber’s tech stack, along with other programming languages like Go, Java, and Node.js. In fact, the platform was originally built using only two main languages – Node.js for marketplace operations and Python for everything else. Uber mainly uses Python for data processing purposes. Its lower back-end levels utilize the Tornado framework for asynchronous programming. In addition, the company has released a Python software development kit for implementing its Ride Request API in a Python app. 8. Lyft
Lyft incorporates modules like NumPy, SciPy, pandas, PuLP, Flask, and gevent to run various operations. For example, Flask and gevent are used to calculate the prices of bike and scooter-renting options for users. SciPy helps fight fraud, while the Python-based software Salt is used for configuration management. In addition, Lyft developers have created an open-source Python platform called Cartography, based on the idea that infrastructure asset mapping is an integral part of cybersecurity. The tool acts as a central repository for an organization’s assets and creates comprehensive maps to illustrate their relationships. 9. Netflix
Python is used throughout various divisions of Netflix. In terms of security, for example, the language is useful for such tasks as security automation, risk classification, configuration history monitoring, SSL certificate tracking, as well as vulnerability identification and mitigation. For data science and engineering, Netflix uses Python to monitor data quality, visualize data, manage data movement and syncing, and express business logic. The company also uses Python to instruct machine learning models to build recommendation algorithms and produce artworks. In addition, Netflix engineers use Python to put together the code written by different teams and perform chaos testing. 10. Twilio
Twilio uses Python with the Django framework and the Wagtail content management system (CMS) to power its documentation and its educational coding game, TwilioQuest. It also uses Flask to construct its APIs. In addition, it has released its own Python library to streamline the process of interacting with the Twilio API from a Python application. ConclusionPython is one of the most widely used programming languages. It is a great language to learn due to its free and open-source nature, a shallow learning curve, numerous lucrative career opportunities, and versatility. The popular coding language has many applications in various fields, including web development, automation, software testing, data analysis, machine learning, and game development. Many well-known companies use Python to conduct business operations and deliver their services. We hope this article has helped you understand the Python language better. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. What Is Python FAQIn this section, we will answer some of the most common questions related to the Python language.
Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, and high-level programming language. Interpreted means the language uses a piece of software called the interpreter to read the code line by line when the Python program is executed, instead of reading it all at once.
Python is not the same as Java. While both are general-purpose, high-level, and object-oriented, they are two separate programming languages with many differences. For example, Python is an interpreted language, while Java can be considered both a compiled and an interpreted one.
You should learn a high-level programming language when you first start coding. Besides being more portable, they also tend to be simpler to debug and maintain compared to their low-level counterparts. The best programming languages to learn for beginners include Python, JavaScript, and Java.
You can start learning Python by enrolling in free or paid online courses, reading tutorials, or watching helpful videos. If you’re planning to become a professional web developer, consider getting a web developer certification. |