What is python?????

rzed rzantow at gmail.com
Sun Nov 18 10:41:38 EST 2007


Cope <buyonline.eworld at gmail.com> wrote in news:7ab5b781-3c6c-
4fb5-9be1-703d5e7e73a6 at s12g2000prg.googlegroups.com:

> please tell me what is python.This group is so crowded.
> 

I see nobody has chosen to answer your question seriously. I'll 
give you an answer, but it is probably not to the question you are 
asking, either.

Python is not one thing.

Python is the name of a computer language, which you can determine 
easily through Google or Wikipedia or other means. That's what 
comp(uter).lang(uage).python is here for, nominally.

Python is also a package of programs that implement the language 
and create a Python runtime environment. The most common 
implementation is of a virtual machine that runs Python bytecodes, 
though other variations run Java or .NET bytecodes.

And Python is also a set of packages that provide utilities and 
features that allow users of the packages to do useful things on 
their computers without unnecessary fuss and bother. Some of these 
utilities come with a basic Python installation (code name: 
"batteries included"), while others are available elsewhere, often 
from the Python Package Index (codename: "cheese shop"), but from 
other sources as well. 

Some people conflate these meanings of "Python", which can lead to 
confusion at times. Much of the crowdedness of the group has to do 
with discussion related to the batteries-included features and to 
the other packages written to run in the Python environment.

Hope that helps.

-- 
rzed





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