Basics of Python Programming

Abstract

Python is a general-purpose dynamic programming language that was created by Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum in 1989. It is the most commonly used programming language in the field of data science. Since it is easier to learn and write code in Python than other languages, it is an optimal choice for beginners. The widespread use of Python is also attributed to the fact that it is free and open source. The number of scientific libraries and packages developed by the Python community allows for data scientists to work with data-intensive real-time applications. Some of the leading organizations such as Google, Dropbox, and Netflix are using Python at various levels to enhance their software. In this chapter, we will discuss Python installation on the Windows operating system, different Python IDEs, the fundamental data types available with Python, control flow statements, Python functions, and different Python libraries for data science.