Седар (Serdar Yegulalp)What is Python? Powerful, intuitive programming feature
Sep 1, 2023
16 mins
Find out what makes Python a versatile powerhouse for modern software development—from data science to machine learning, systems automation, web and API development, and more.
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Credit: Danleo
It may seem odd to software developers working today, but the Python programming language was once considered a gap-filler, a way to write scripts that “automate the boring stuff” (as one popular book on learning Python put it) or to rapidly prototype applications that would then be implemented in other languages.
Python has since emerged from such humble beginnings and is now a first-class citizen in modern software development, infrastructure management, and data analysis. It is no longer seen as a back-room utility language but a major force in web application creation and systems management, and a key driver of the explosion in data science, machine learning, and, increasingly, generative AI.
Python’s key advantages
Some key advantages drive Python’s success with beginners and expert programmers alike, so let’s start with an overview.
Python is easy to learn and use
Python encompasses a relatively modest number of features, so it requires a fairly minimal investment of time and effort to produce your first programs. Python’s syntax is designed to be readable and straightforward. This simplicity makes it an ideal teaching language, which newcomers can pick up quickly. As a result, developers can spend more time thinking about the problem they’re trying to solve, rather than worrying about syntactic complexities or deciphering legacy code.
Python is broadly adopted and supported
Python is both popular and widely used, as the high rankings in surveys like the Tiobe Index and the large number of GitHub projects using Python attest. Python runs on every major operating system and platform, and most minor ones, too. Many major libraries and API-powered services have Python bindings or wrappers, so Python interfaces freely with them.
Python is not a toy language
Even though scripting and automation cover a large chunk of Python’s use cases (more on that later), Python is also used to build professional-quality software, both as standalone applications and as web services. Python may not be the fastest language, but what it lacks in speed, it makes up for in versatility. There are also major efforts underway to make Python faster.