/alx-higher_level_programming

This sprint is mostly about Python. Hoping I will cover the very fundamental concepts of Python programming.

Primary LanguagePython

Welcome To Sprint 2, Introduction to Python Programming

Python is an easy to learn, powerful programming language. It has efficient high-level data structures and a simple but effective approach to object-oriented programming. Python’s elegant syntax and dynamic typing, together with its interpreted nature, make it an ideal language for scripting and rapid application development in many areas on most platforms.

Python is a popular programming language. It was created by Guido van Rossum, and released in 1991.

Uses of Python

- Python can be used on a server to create web applications.
- Python can be used alongside software to create workflows.
- Python can connect to database systems. It can also read and modify files.
- Python can be used to handle big data and perform complex mathematics.
- Python can be used for rapid prototyping, or for production-ready software development.

The Zen of Python

In 1999, there was a discussion on the official Python mailing list about the need to write down some sort of formal guiding principles for the language. Tim Peters, a prominent member of the Python community, jokingly laid out a poetic summary of 19 principles to serve as an outline, leaving the 20th spot open for Guido van Rossum, the creator of Python, to complete (which he never did).

The following are the principles:

1. Beautiful is better than ugly.
2. Explicit is better than implicit.
3. Simple is better than complex.
4. Complex is better than complicated.
5. Flat is better than nested.
6. Sparse is better than dense.
7. Readability counts.
8. Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules.
9. Although practicality beats purity.
10. Errors should never pass silently.
11. Unless explicitly silenced.
12. In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess.
13. There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious way to do it.
14. Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you're Dutch.
15. Now is better than never.
16. Although never is often better than \*right\* now.
17. If the implementation is hard to explain, it's a bad idea.
18. If the implementation is easy to explain, it may be a good idea.
19. Namespaces are one honking great idea -- let's do more of those!