12 * Text editor - scite, vim, emacs or whatever you are comfortable with. |
12 * Text editor - scite, vim, emacs or whatever you are comfortable with. |
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17 Introduction |
17 1. Introduction |
18 ============ |
18 =============== |
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20 The Python programming language was created by a dutch named Guido van Rossum. |
20 The Python programming language was created by a dutch named Guido van Rossum. |
21 The idea of Python was conceived in December 1989. The name Python has nothing |
21 The idea of Python was conceived in December 1989. The name Python has nothing |
22 to do with the reptilian, but its been named after the 70s comedy series |
22 to do with the reptilian, but its been named after the 70s comedy series |
23 "Monty Python's Flying Circus", since it happens to be Guido's favourite |
23 "Monty Python's Flying Circus", since it happens to be Guido's favourite |
24 TV series. |
24 TV series. |
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25 |
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26 Current stable version of Python is 2.6.x, although Python 3.0 is also the stable |
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27 version, it is not backwards compatible with the previous versions and is hence |
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28 not entirely popular at the moment. This material will focus on the 2.6.x series. |
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26 Current stable version of Python is 2.6.x, although Python 3.0 is also the stable |
30 Python is licensed under the Python Software Foundation License (PSF License) |
27 version, it is not backwards compatible with the previous versions and is hence |
31 which is GPL compatible Free Software license (excepting license version 1.6 and 2.0) |
28 not entirely popular at the moment. This material contains material pertaining |
32 It is a no strings attached license, which means the source code is free to modify |
29 to the 2.6.x series. |
33 and redistribute. |
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34 |
31 The Python Interpreter |
35 The Python docs define Python as "Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, |
32 ====================== |
36 high-level programming language with dynamic semantics." A more detailed summary |
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37 can be found at http://www.python.org/doc/essays/blurb.html. Python is a language that |
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38 has been designed to help the programmer concentrate on solving the problem at hand |
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39 and not worry about the programming language idiosyncrasies. |
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40 |
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41 Python is a highly cross platform compatible language on account of it being an |
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42 interpreted language. It is highly scalable and hence has been adapted to run on |
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43 the Nokia 60 series phones. Python has been designed to be readable and easy to use |
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45 **Resources available for reference** |
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47 * Web: http://www.python.org |
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48 * Doc: http://www.python.org/doc |
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49 * Free Tutorials: |
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50 * Official Python Tutorial: http://docs.python.org/tut/tut.html |
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51 * Byte of Python: http://www.byteofpython.info/ |
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52 * Dive into Python: http://diveintopython.org/ |
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56 1.1 The Python Interpreter |
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57 -------------------------- |
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58 |