Python is a remarkably powerful dynamic programming language that is used in a wide variety of application domains. Python is often compared to Perl, Tcl, Scheme, Ruby or Java.
Fans of Python use the phrase "batteries included" to describe the standard library, which covers everything from asynchronous processing to zip files. The language itself is a flexible powerhouse that can handle practically any problem domain. Build your own web server in three lines of code. Build flexible data-driven code using Python's powerful and dynamic introspection capabilities and advanced language features such as meta-classes, duck typing and decorators.
Python lets you write the code you need, quickly. And, thanks to a highly optimized byte compiler and support libraries, Python code runs more than fast enough for most applications.
· very clear, readable syntax
· strong introspection capabilities
· intuitive object orientation
· natural expression of procedural code
· full modularity, supporting hierarchical packages
· exception-based error handling
· very high level dynamic data types
· extensive standard libraries and third party modules for virtually every task
· extensions and modules easily written in C, C++ (or Java for Jython, or .NET languages for IronPython)
· embeddable within applications as a scripting interface
What's New in This Release:
· numerous improvements to the unittest module
· PEP 3147, support for .pyc repository directories
· PEP 3149, support for version tagged dynamic libraries
· PEP 3148, a new futures library for concurrent programming
· PEP 384, a stable ABI for extension modules
· PEP 391, dictionary-based logging configuration
· an overhauled GIL implementation that reduces contention
· an extended email package that handles bytes messages
· a much improved ssl module with support for SSL contexts and certificate hostname matching
· a sysconfig module to access configuration information
· additions to the shutil module, among them archive file support
· many enhancements to configparser, among them mapping protocol support
· improvements to pdb, the Python debugger
· countless fixes regarding bytes/string issues; among them full support for a bytes environment (filenames, environment variables)
· many consistency and behavior fixes for numeric operations