Python

Python: Background

- Developed by Guido Van Rossum in 1991 - One of the most popular programming languages in the world - A growing number of data scientist and data analytics job postings are listing Python as a required or a preferred skill

IDEs

- Development Environments designed specifically for Python - Designed specifically for Python with extra functionality - Unlike text editors, these are larger programs because they come packaged with a lot of other functionality - Most Popular: PyCharm, Spyder

Text Editors

- General editors for any text file (Python, Java, HTML, etc) - Work with a variety of file types - Can be customized with plugins and add-ons - Most Popular Text Editors: Sublime Text, Atom

Notebooks

- Great for Learning - Easily see input and output as we work (We can see multiple input and output lines) - Notebooks use blocks of code called "cells" - Split our code into multiple cells can immediately see output - Instead of writing long scripts we can see our results as we go - Notebooks allow us to include notes, visualizations, videos, and more - Jupyter Notebook: Popular with data science and analytics because we can see our visualizations next to our code input

Running Python Code: 3 main ways

- Text Editors - Full Interactive Development Environments (IDEs) - Notebook Environments

Why so popular?

Python has many advantages - Developers can learn it quickly - Syntax is easier to read - Typically involves less code (than other languages such as Java, C++, etc) - Utilized by nearly every major technology company (Google, Microsoft, etc) - Huge amount of additional open-source libraries to expand Python's use and capability