What is Python?

Learn that Python is an interpreted, high-level language.

What is Python?

Python is a general-purpose programming language created by Guido van Rossum in 1991, famous for its readability. Today it is a modern language at version 3.12.

Python is an interpreted language: an interpreter runs your code line by line instead of a compiler. This makes fast trial and error easy.

Python is used for websites, data analysis, artificial intelligence, automation and games. Famous apps written in Python include Instagram, YouTube and Netflix.

What can you build with Python?

Python is a multi-purpose language. The most common use cases are:

Web: secure sites with Django and Flask
Data: analysis and statistics with pandas and NumPy
AI: machine learning and large language models
Automation: scripts that speed up repetitive tasks

This flexibility makes Python popular worldwide.

Test yourself

What runs Python code?
- A browser
- A compiler
- An interpreter
- The operating system
Show answer

An interpreter — An interpreter runs Python code line by line.
Match the concepts

Python

Language
Interpreter

Runtime
PyPI

Package index
Guido van Rossum

Creator of the language
Which can NOT be done with Python?
- Build a website
- Do data analysis
- Write an automation script
- Write an operating system kernel
Show answer

Write an operating system kernel — OS kernels are typically written in C; Python is not suited for that.

Python is an ___ language

Python is an ____ language.

Show answer

Python is an interpreted language.

Next lesson: REPL and print

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