Python For Developers | A Short History of the Python Language

Python

Python is one of the most widely used open source programming languages, and is used for anything from data to web development. Developers can take a tailored Python course for a variety of specialisations, e.g. a Python for developers, or Python for data science course. Unbeknownst to many people, Python has been around for quite a while, outdating Java and JavaScript.

Origins

The history of Python starts back in 1989, where the language was conceived of, and created by Guido van Rossum. Python received its name from the British comedy show Monty Python’s Flying Circus, one of Rossum’s favourite shows. Inspired by the ABC language, a terminated project of the Dutch CWI research institute that van Rossum worked for, Python was created as a scripting language for CWI’s Amoeba operating system. The flexibility and useability of the language was a vital innovation in the days of the first personal computers, as Python was able to be easily extended and offered cross-platform support. Python’s capability of communicating with libraries and differing file formats further contributed to the success of the language.

Computer Programming for Everybody

As Python grew throughout the early nineties, acquiring a vast amount of new features, Van Rossum worked on his ‘Computer Programming for Everybody’ initiative; an attempt make programming more accessible to the 'layman' and encourage a basic level of coding literacy as an equal essential knowledge alongside English literacy and math skills. The clean syntax and accessibility of the Python language allows it to remain easy to use, and one of the most common languages that new would-be programmers are pointed at to learn.

The Future

With a fast and growing user-base, Python is utilised by large corporations in the technology industry, e.g. Nokia, Google, NASA. Python’s support for multiple programming paradigms has ensured a bright future for the language through a dependency on its ease of use.

It is never too late to do Python training and earn certification through the completion of a Python course. To find out more about available Python courses visit JBI.