Mark Lutz's Python Page

[Python Logo]

This page provides an

overview

of Python, plus a set of handpicked links to additional

resources

for the language. Most of the links on this page not attributed to me lead to off-site resources; as usual on the web, click with care.

Python

is a free, general-purpose, and open-source computer programming language. It's optimized for software quality, developer productivity, program portability, and component integration. Among Python's features are:

A powerful multiparadigm toolset, with support for procedural, object-oriented, and functional programming

A remarkably simple, readable, and maintainable syntax that handles tasks both small and large

Multiple ways to integrate with external components, from compiled code to high-level frameworks

And a vast collection of precoded libraries and utilities, which can slash project schedules and costs

Today, Python's speed of development is leveraged by millions of programmers around the world. It is commonly used in diverse domains such as Internet scripting, systems administration, scientific programming, AI, product customization, instrumentation, data science, game development, and quality assurance. By most accounts, it now ranks as one of the top 3 or 5 most widely used programming languages in the world.

Notable users of Python include: Google, Intel, Disney, YouTube, Industrial Light & Magic, Red Hat, NASA, Lawrence Livermore Lab, Eve Online, Seagate, JPL, Hewlett-Packard, JP Morgan Chase, Dropbox, ESRI, Calibre, Instagram, Spotify, Pinterest, Reddit, Netflix, and many more. More generally, Python is deployed in strategic or tactical roles by most organizations developing software today, and it regularly serves as tool of choice in computer-science education. The resources below give additional users and success stories.

Although general-purpose, Python is often called a scripting language. This is partly because of its relative ease of use—Python code is typically 1/3 to 1/5 the size of equivalent C++ or Java code. This term also reflects the fact that Python makes it easy to utilize and direct other software components—Python scripts can employ C and C++ libraries; communicate over networking and web-services protocols; interface with Java and .Net class libraries; tap into data stores and mobile-app ecosystems; and more.

In the end, though, Python's best asset may simply be its ability to make software development more rapid and enjoyable, by enabling programmers instead of hindering them. Check out the links below to see why.

This section's lists provide selected resources on Python popularity, general use, and history.

Metrics

Python

continues to enjoy an active and even vigorous user community today, some three decades after its launch. It is now generally considered to be one of the top 3 or 5 most widely used programming languages in world, often checks in at #1, and is still growing in popularity by most metrics including the following (updated occasionally through 2025):

Aggregates

here

, and

from an IEEE.org

website

Web presence in

2025

2024

, and

per the TIOBE

index

Topic popularity reported by O'Reilly's

Tutorial searches in

and

per the PYPL

Tag visits

and

from a Stack Overflow

website

Github development activity noted by various

Python's use in

and

User-base

, and

Conference

, US

: 3,000+ as of 2015

and

as measured by the Redmonk

website

Mentions in Dice job listings as noted

here

, and

here

General

There is a multitude of Python resources on the Web. For more information, either run a search or browse these assorted links:

All things Pythonic: its

main website

Check out the 2014 PSF

The

, and

Get paid for coding Python:

jobs

, and more

jobs

Python threads on

Stack Overflow

Python meets social media on

Github

The

PyPI package index

add-ons site

Python 2.X support after its 2020 EOL:

here

and

here

Still active: the

comp.lang.python

newsgroup

My review of

recent Python changes

My online collection of Python

example programs

History

If you're looking for some historical context on Python, you might try these (till the URLs change, of course):

The watercooler overview on

Wikipedia

My Python career retrospective

page

The Python

"old-timers" blog

Python's website through the years: try the image links

above

Relics from my archives

here

, and

here

Some of my interviews/articles

Dated but useful—material from a

1997

introduction to Python

While they last—papers and talks from conferences in

1995

and

1996

(

pdf

)

Python future?—some notes from the trenches in

2012

and

2015

An ancient (1993) post from

the start of all the troubles...

The following older lists were trimmed and updated in 2014 (and rechecked later). A few of their items may still be useful, but some had moved or changed, and others became dated or subsumed by newer resources above like Stack Overflow. A few longstanding Python sites, including the Vaults of Parnassus, have even ceased to be (apart from web archives).

Assorted

Read the docs: Python

manuals

The Python FAQ: for

2.X

and

3.X

Send Python questions to the

Python-help

list via

[tT]kinter GUI resources:

here