Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language. "High-level" means it reads close to plain English and hides most of the low-level details (memory management, machine instructions) that older languages like C make you deal with by hand.

It was created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991. Since then it's become one of the most widely-used languages in the world — and one of the best languages to learn first.

Interpreted vs compiled

Programming languages generally fall into two camps:

• Compiled languages (like C++ or Rust) are translated entirely into machine code before you run them. This extra step usually makes the final program faster, but slower to iterate on.
• Interpreted languages (like Python or JavaScript) are read and executed line-by-line by another program (the interpreter), while your code runs. There's no separate compile step — you write code, run it, and see results immediately.

Python is interpreted. That's a big part of why it's popular for learning: you get instant feedback. In fact, every code block in this course runs directly in your browser using an in-browser Python interpreter — no installation required.

print("This runs immediately — no compiling required.")

What is Python actually used for?

Python shows up almost everywhere:

• Web development — frameworks like Django and Flask power huge sites.
• Data science & machine learning — libraries like pandas, NumPy, and PyTorch are practically the industry standard.
• Automation & scripting — renaming files, scraping websites, automating boring tasks.
• Backend services & APIs — Python is a common choice for server-side logic.

Why learn Python first?

A few reasons it's a great starting point:

1. Readable syntax. Python code often reads like English, so you spend less time fighting punctuation and more time learning how programs actually think.
2. Huge community. Whatever problem you run into, someone has probably already asked (and answered) it online.
3. Genuinely useful. Unlike some "teaching languages," Python is also what professionals use to build real products.

Try it yourself

Every lesson in this course has runnable exercises like the one below. Click Run to execute the code — Python is loading in the background as you read.

Checkpoint

• Python is an interpreted language — no separate compile step.
• It's used for web development, data science, automation, and more.
• Its readable syntax makes it a strong first language to learn.

Next up: writing and running your very first real program.