• # Write Fibonacci series up to n
>>> def fib(n):
...     a, b = 0, 1
...     while a < n:
...         print(a, end=' ')
...         a, b = b, a+b
...     print()
...
>>> fib(1000)
0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 144 233 377 610 987

    Functions Defined

    The core of extensible programming is defining functions. Python allows mandatory and optional arguments, keyword arguments, and even arbitrary argument lists. More about defining functions

  • # For loop on a list
>>> numbers = [2, 4, 6, 8]
>>> product = 1
>>> for number in numbers:
...     product = product * number
...
>>> print('The product is:', product)
The product is: 384

    All the Flow You’d Expect

    Python knows the usual control flow statements that other languages speak — if, for, while and range — with some of its own twists, of course. More control flow tools

  • # List comprehensions
>>> fruits = ['Banana', 'Apple', 'Lime']
>>> loud_fruits = [fruit.upper() for fruit in fruits]
>>> print(loud_fruits)
['BANANA', 'APPLE', 'LIME']

# List and the enumerate function
>>> list(enumerate(fruits))
[(0, 'Banana'), (1, 'Apple'), (2, 'Lime')]

    Compound Data Types

    Lists (known as arrays in other languages) are one of the compound data types that Python understands. Lists can be indexed, sliced and manipulated with other built-in functions. More about lists

  • # Simple arithmetic
>>> 1 / 2
0.5
>>> 2 ** 3
8
>>> 17 / 3  # true division returns a float
5.666666666666667
>>> 17 // 3  # floor division
5

    Intuitive Interpretation

    Calculations are simple with Python, and expression syntax is straightforward: the operators +, -, * and / work as expected; parentheses () can be used for grouping. More about simple math functions.

  • # Simple output (with Unicode)
>>> print("Hello, I'm Python!")
Hello, I'm Python!

# Input, assignment
>>> name = input('What is your name?\n')
>>> print(f'Hi, {name}.')
What is your name?
Python
Hi, Python.

    Quick & Easy to Learn

    Experienced programmers in any other language can pick up Python very quickly, and beginners find the clean syntax and indentation structure easy to learn. Whet your appetite with our Python overview.

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Python is a programming language that lets you work quickly and integrate systems more effectively. Learn More

This page is a school presentation about Python: its history, its creator and why people love it.   

Who

Python was created by Guido van Rossum, a Dutch programmer working at the CWI research institute in Amsterdam.

Meet Guido

When

Work began over Christmas 1989. The first public release, version 0.9.0, came out in February 1991.

See the timeline

The Name

It is named after the BBC comedy show Monty Python’s Flying Circus, not after the snake.

Why “Python”?

Today

Python is free, open source and the #1 language on the TIOBE index. The newest release is Python 3.15.1.

Python today

The Early Years

Present

Growing Up

Present

In Guido’s Words

Present

Over six years ago, in December 1989, I was looking for a “hobby” programming project that would keep me occupied during the week around Christmas. … I decided to write an interpreter for the new scripting language I had been thinking about lately: a descendant of ABC that would appeal to Unix/C hackers. I chose Python as a working title for the project, being in a slightly irreverent mood (and a big fan of Monty Python’s Flying Circus).

Foreword to “Programming Python”, 1996 by Guido van Rossum

Use Python for…

Present

The Zen of Python

Present

Type import this and Python prints 19 rules for writing good code, written by Tim Peters in 1999. A few of them:

  • Beautiful is better than ugly.
  • Explicit is better than implicit.
  • Simple is better than complex.
  • Readability counts.
  • Errors should never pass silently.

Fun Facts

Present

  • The docs use spam and eggs instead of foo and bar, a nod to a Monty Python sketch.
  • PyPI, the package index, was first nicknamed the “Cheese Shop”, after another Monty Python sketch.
  • Type import this to read the Zen of Python, or import antigravity to open an xkcd comic.
  • Python is older than Java and JavaScript, which both appeared in 1995.
  • The Zen says the obvious way may not be obvious “unless you’re Dutch”, a wink at Guido.
  • Guido started Python to keep himself busy while his office was closed for Christmas.

>>> Python Software Foundation

The mission of the Python Software Foundation is to promote, protect, and advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers. Learn more

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