Introduction to Python programming language

Introduction to the Python programming language with fundamental concepts.

This is an introduction to the Python language, which is a high-level interpreted programming language. It is widely used for web development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and scientific computing.

It was created by Guido van Rossum in the late 1980s and has since become one of the most popular programming languages in the world. Its simplicity and readability make it an ideal language for beginners, and its extensive standard library provides users with a wide range of pre-built modules and functions.

Table of Contents

1. Presentation of Python modules

Python allows for the integration of a number of functions and modules for reading and writing files, and can handle a variety of file formats including text, CSV, and binary files, among others. It also uses libraries for accessing databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server, which allow users to connect, execute SQL queries, and retrieve results.

Python has a number of third-party libraries for working with data, including NumPy for scientific computing, pandas for data analysis, and scikit-learn for machine learning. These libraries provide users with a wide range of functions and tools for manipulating, analyzing, and visualizing data.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of some popular libraries to illustrate this introduction to the Python language:

NumPy – a library for scientific computing with Python that provides support for large, multi-dimensional arrays and matrices of numerical data.
pandas – a library for data manipulation and analysis that provides support for data structures and data analysis tools for handling large datasets.
Django – a full-featured web framework for building complex, database-driven websites. Flask – a microweb framework for building web applications and APIs.
scikit-learn – a library for machine learning that provides a range of algorithms and tools for training and testing models.
PyQt – a library for building graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with Python. TensorFlow – a library for machine learning and artificial intelligence that allows users to build and train neural networks.
Pygame – a library for building games with Python. It provides support for graphics, sound, and input/output.

Other scripting tools are used together with Python like MS-DOS, here is how to export a list of files from a folder with cmd.

Create a text list of files in a folder with cmd

2. Introduction to web functions in Python

To continue this introduction, the Python language also has libraries for working with web technologies, such as Django, which is a full-featured web framework. And libraries for working with web services like Flask and Pyramid. It also allows for the integration of libraries for parsing and processing documents in HTML, XML, and JSON formats.

3. Python development and testing tools

Python also has a number of tools for software development and testing, such as unit testing frameworks, code coverage tools, and static analysis tools. These tools help developers write reliable and maintainable code and ensure that their software is of high quality.

Here is a non exhaustive list of Python’s development and testing tools:

Unit testing frameworks like PyTest and unittest allow developers to create and run automated tests for their code to ensure that it is functioning correctly.
Code coverage tools like coverage.py help developers measure how much of their code is being tested by their unit tests, so they can identify areas of their code that may not be thoroughly tested.
Static analysis tools like Pylint and Pyflakes check Python code for errors and style issues, helping developers write more reliable and maintainable code.
Other tools like pytest-benchmark and memory_profiler can be used to measure the performance and resource usage of Python code, allowing developers to optimize their code for efficiency.

4. Example of code written in Python

Here is a simple example of Python code that defines a function to calculate the area of a rectangle, based on the following 2 arguments:

The width The height This code defines a function called aire_rectangle() that takes two arguments, width and height, and returns the product of these two values. The function is then called with different sets of arguments, and the result is printed to the console using the print() function. In this example, the simplicity of the code is noted.

def rectangle_area(width, height):
  return width * height

print(rectangle_area(5, 10))  # prints 50
print(rectangle_area(3, 7))  # prints 21

Another MS powerful scripting tool used with Python is PowerShell, and here how to copy files recursively with a PS script.

Copy files recursively in PowerShell including subfolders

5. Conclusion with strengths and weaknesses of Python

To conclude this brief introduction to the Python language, it is a powerful and versatile programming language with a wide range of applications.

5.1 Strengths of Python

Here are a few of its strengths:

Simple and expressive syntax that is easy to read and understand.
An extensive standard library that provides a wide range of ready-to-use features.
A large and active community of developers, with a multitude of third-party libraries and frameworks available.
Flexibility and versatility that allow it to be used for a wide range of applications.

5.2 Weaknesses of Python

However, Python also has some limitations and weaknesses that should be considered:

It is an interpreted language, so it may be slower than compiled languages like C or C++, which are low-level languages.
Its dynamic typing nature can make it more prone to runtime errors and make the code more difficult to debug.
Its simplicity may make it less suitable for low-level tasks or system programming.

Overall, Python is a very powerful and popular language that is well-suited for a wide range of tasks. Its simplicity and flexibility make it an excellent choice for beginners, while its extensive standard library and large developer community make it a useful tool for more experienced programmers.