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What is the Python programming language and what is it for?

The Python programming language is object-oriented and very easy to use while keeping all its power. Open source, you can find it on its own website. Keep in mind that it is a language comparable to others such as Perl, Scheme or Java, but due to its characteristics it is becoming a favorite for many. Those who work with him believe that it is more elegant, clean and minimalist.

With Python you can program in scripting; this means it uses an interpreter at the compilation site. This is an advantage for you, since you will save a lot of time. Although it is opposite from Perl, it also resorts to interpreting the code that is written on the screen to run the program. However, the difference is that it has a greater and wide variety of very useful standard modules depending on your objective.

Among Python features, we can find simplicity, accuracy in synthesis, good readability, being able to program complex algorithms in a few lines and use dialects, some variants that can be adapted to other languages.

With Python, you can program in various styles within the so-called multi-paradigm programming: structured, functional, object-oriented or aspect-oriented. This software is very versatile and useful for automating processes in order to save you complications.

If you work with large volumes of data, the Python programming language is perfect because processing is effective. It can also be used to create video games for its dynamism or even have its extensive library of resources.

Python is free and an open source language, which is not exactly the same. According to Richard Stallman, both free software and open source pursue a common goal: to give greater freedom and transparency to the world of software. However, they differ in the way it is carried out.

Free software is defined by its ethics. Free software is not only open source programs, but all programs that respect the four essential freedoms of the user defined by the Free Software Foundation (1985).

The concept of open software emerged in 1998, when the OSI (Open source initiative) was created as a spin-off from free software. In this case, instead of the 4 freedoms of free software, 10 requirements that a software must meet to be considered open were defined.

The main difference between one type of software and another is subtle. Free software prioritizes ethical aspects, while open source software prioritizes technical ones. For this reason, it is usually less strict, so that all free software is also open source, but not necessarily the other way around.

In any case, Python is free and open. And therein lies one of the keys to Python's success: the Python community. It is a large and very active community that contributes to the development and improvement of the source code, according to the needs and demands of users. Because, although many companies and organizations, such as Google, Microsoft or Red Hat, use this language a lot and influence its evolution, none exerts control over it.

This free and open character has undoubtedly also facilitated its versatility, flexibility and power. That is, we can run it on different operating systems such as Windows or Linux simply using the corresponding interpreter.

Over the last 30 years Python has enjoyed constant evolution in addition to community support that has made it particularly relevant in the development of applications in a server environment. This, together with its simplicity, has produced that it could be placed in the Big Data scene and especially in the development of automated learning algorithms.

In short, the simplicity, versatility, and power of Python have made it that all-rounder programming language that can help boost digital literacy for broad sectors of the population, making programming accessible to people and professionals of all kinds.

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