Time passes quickly, and Python, one of the most popular programming languages of today, is 30 years old. It first became known in late February 1991, when Guido van Rossum published the first Python issue in the alt.sources group.
The work on the language took two years, the initial task was to create a scripting language to work with the Amoeba operating system. This language was supposed to be of a higher level than C, plus it would provide convenient access to system calls of the operating system.
In the first version of the language, support for classes with inheritance, exception handling, plus a system of modules and base types list, dict and str appeared. Such a tool as the implementation of modules and exceptions was borrowed from the Modula-3 language. The indentation-based coding style came to Python from the ABC language, in the development of which the author was also directly involved.
The most important role in the development of the language was played by the principles that allowed to save time in the coding process:
- Borrowing useful ideas from other projects.
- Striving for simplicity, but without oversimplification (Einshein's principle "Everything should be presented as simply as possible, but not simpler").
- Following the UNIX philosophy that programs do one piece of functionality, but they do it well.
- Don't worry too much about performance, optimizations can be added as needed when needed.
- Do not try to deal with the prevailing things, but go with the flow.
- Avoiding perfectionism is usually good enough.
- Sometimes you can cut corners, especially if something can be done later.
There are other principles guido van Rossum followed when developing Python:
- The implementation doesn't have to be platform specific. Some features may not always be available, but the basic functionality should work everywhere.
- Do not burden users with parts that the machine can handle.
- , .
- .
- — .
- .
Python is now in fourth place in demand among developers. This year, quite unexpectedly, Python's share of the programming market has declined. The reasons are not yet very clear - perhaps the Data Science niche is filled, maybe something else influenced. But be that as it may, the decline is not significant, and the language itself will have to work for the good of mankind for many more years, most likely tens of years.
