part0016

As a type of interpreted language, Python does have a lot of advantages over the other programming languages. One of these advantages is that it has the ability to grow and make changes as your computing needs change. Like your desktop applications, the fact that Python is continually developed will allow for new features to be added to the language, and you will see a lot of refinements added to Python to make it easier to use.

Throughout the years, there have been various versions of the Python language released, each one providing different features and benefits compared to the one before. Some of the different options you can choose when it comes to working with Python include:

The first version of Python that we need to take a look at here is going to be Python 2. This was the version of Python that was released in 2000, but there have been a few versions of this that were released over time. The latest version of this one, Python 2.7 was released in 2010 and is likely to be the last of the Python 2 family that developers are going to work on since focus has moved over to working with Python 3.

While most programmers are going to work with Python 3 because it is the newer version out of the two, you will find that if this version is already on your computer, you will be able to complete a lot of the coding that you want. And it is an accessible version to work with, providing us with many of the features that we need to complete Python coding, without all of the extras that seem neat, but tend to slow down the system

There are also times when the programming requirements for your company, such as ones that maybe have a little bit older technology, will benefit more from the Python 2 version that is available. For example, if you are working on a company that has some policies in place that discourage or ban the installation of unapproved software from other sources, then you may find that Python 2 will fit the bill a bit better. This is because the Python 2 version is pre-installed on many computers ahead of time, so you won’t have to worry about doing this yourself.

In addition, there are many third-party libraries and packages that are used to help extend what capabilities the 2.X version can handle, and some of them are not present in the newer 3.X version. If you want to work with a specific library for your application, you may find that it is only available in the 2.X release. You would need to download this version to get it to work for you.

If you do decide that this version is the best one, you should still take a look at the 3.X release. There are some differences in the best programming practices of each and you may even be able to make slight modifications to your code on the 2.X version and get it to work on the newer version.

Then you have the option of working with the Python 3 library. Many people who decide to work with Python are going to take some time to look at how they can work with Python 3 because it is the newest and the one that the Python developers are working on right now. This is the version that was initially released in 2008. There are several versions that have come out since that time so you are able to pick the one that works the best for you.

Since Python 3 is the most current version of this language, most of the examples and the codes that we are going to talk about in this guidebook will be based on this version. You will find that there are many benefits that work with Python 3 because it has a lot of add-ons that we need, has the latest libraries, and since it is the version that developers are working on right now, it will get the latest in features, developments, and updates as time goes on.