Editing Python (programming language) (section)

==Design philosophy and features==
Python is a [[multi-paradigm programming language]]. Object-oriented programming and structured programming are fully supported, and many of their features support functional programming and [[aspect-oriented programming]] (including [[metaprogramming]]<ref name="AutoNT-13"/> and [[metaobject]]s).<ref name="AutoNT-14"/> Many other paradigms are supported via extensions, including [[design by contract]]<ref name="AutoNT-15"/><ref name="AutoNT-16"/> and [[logic programming]].<ref name="AutoNT-17"/> Python is often referred to as a ''[[glue language|<nowiki/>'glue language]]'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glue It All Together With Python |url=https://www.python.org/doc/essays/omg-darpa-mcc-position/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Python.org |language=en}}</ref> because it can seamlessly integrate components written in other languages.

Python uses dynamic typing and a combination of [[reference counting]] and a cycle-detecting garbage collector for [[memory management]].<ref name="Reference_counting">{{Cite web |url=https://docs.python.org/extending/extending.html#reference-counts |title=Extending and Embedding the Python Interpreter: Reference Counts |publisher=Docs.python.org |language=en |access-date=5 June 2020 |quote=Since Python makes heavy use of <code>malloc()</code> and <code>free()</code>, it needs a strategy to avoid memory leaks as well as the use of freed memory. The chosen method is called ''reference counting''. |archive-date=18 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018063230/http://docs.python.org/extending/extending.html#reference-counts |url-status=live}}</ref> It uses dynamic [[Name resolution (programming languages)|name resolution]] ([[late binding]]), which binds method and variable names during program execution.

Python's design offers some support for functional programming in the [[Lisp (programming language)|Lisp]] tradition. It has {{codes|filter|map|reduce|d=and}} functions; [[list comprehension]]s, [[Associative array|dictionaries]], sets, and [[generator (computer programming)|generator]] expressions.<ref name="AutoNT-59"/> The standard library has two modules ({{codes|itertools}} and {{codes|functools}}) that implement functional tools borrowed from [[Haskell]] and [[Standard ML]].<ref name="AutoNT-18"/>

Python's core philosophy is summarized in the [[Zen of Python]] (PEP 20), which includes aphorisms such as these:<ref name="PEP20"/>
<!-- Note this isn't a full list, just some of the more significant aphorisms -->
* Beautiful is better than ugly.
* Explicit is better than implicit.
* Simple is better than complex.
* Complex is better than complicated.
* Readability counts.

However, Python features regularly violate these principles and have received criticism for adding unnecessary language bloat.<ref name="Python-Changes-2014">{{cite web |url=https://learning-python.com/python-changes-2014-plus.html |title=Python Changes 2014+ |last=Lutz |first=Mark |date=January 2022 |website=Learning Python |access-date=2024-02-25 |archive-date=15 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240315075935/https://learning-python.com/python-changes-2014-plus.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Responses to these criticisms note that the Zen of Python is a guideline rather than a rule.<ref name="Confusion-regarding-a-rule-in-the-Zen-of-Python">{{cite web |url=https://discuss.python.org/t/confusion-regarding-a-rule-in-the-zen-of-python/15927 |title=Confusion regarding a rule in The Zen of Python |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2022-05-03 |website=Python Help - Discussions on Python.org |access-date=2024-02-25 |archive-date=25 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225221142/https://discuss.python.org/t/confusion-regarding-a-rule-in-the-zen-of-python/15927 |url-status=live}}</ref> The addition of some new features had been controversial: Guido van Rossum resigned as Benevolent Dictator for Life after conflict about adding the assignment expression operator in Python 3.8.<ref name="The-Most-Controversial-Python-Walrus-Operator">{{cite web |url=https://pythonsimplified.com/the-most-controversial-python-walrus-operator/ |title=The Most Controversial Python Walrus Operator |last=Ambi |first=Chetan |date=2021-07-04 |website=Python Simplified |access-date=2024-02-05 |archive-date=27 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827154931/https://pythonsimplified.com/the-most-controversial-python-walrus-operator/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The-Controversy-Behind-The-Walrus-Operator-in-Python">{{cite web |url=https://therenegadecoder.com/code/the-controversy-behind-the-walrus-operator-in-python/ |title=The Controversy Behind The Walrus Operator in Python |last=Grifski |first=Jeremy |date=2020-05-24 |website=The Renegade Coder |access-date=2024-02-25 |archive-date=28 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231228135749/https://therenegadecoder.com/code/the-controversy-behind-the-walrus-operator-in-python/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Nevertheless, rather than building all functionality into its core, Python was designed to be highly [[extensible]] via modules. This compact modularity has made it particularly popular as a means of adding programmable interfaces to existing applications. Van Rossum's vision of a small core language with a large standard library and easily extensible interpreter stemmed from his frustrations with ABC, which represented the opposite approach.<ref name="venners-interview-pt-1"/>

Python claims to strive for a simpler, less-cluttered syntax and grammar, while giving developers a choice in their coding methodology. In contrast to [[Perl]]'s motto "[[there is more than one way to do it]]", Python advocates an approach where "there should be one—and preferably only one—obvious way to do it."<!-- the "—" spacing here, although inconsistent with Wikipedia MOS, is quoted text and must be maintained as is; do not "correct" it -->.<ref name="PEP20"/> In practice, however, Python provides many ways to achieve a given goal. There are, for example, at least three ways to format a string literal, with no certainty as to which one a programmer should use.<ref name="Python-String-Formatting-Best-Practices">{{cite web |url=https://realpython.com/python-string-formatting/ |title=Python String Formatting Best Practices |last=Bader |first=Dan |website=Real Python |access-date=2024-02-25 |archive-date=18 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218083506/https://realpython.com/python-string-formatting/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Alex Martelli]] is a [[Fellow]] at the [[Python Software Foundation]] and Python book author; he wrote that "To describe something as 'clever' is ''not'' considered a compliment in the Python culture."<ref name="AutoNT-19"/>

Python's developers usually try to avoid [[premature optimization]]; they also reject patches to non-critical parts of the [[CPython]] reference implementation that would offer marginal increases in speed at the cost of clarity.<ref name="AutoNT-20"/> Execution speed can be improved by moving speed-critical functions to extension modules written in languages such as C, or by using a [[just-in-time compiler]] like [[PyPy]]. It is also possible to [[#Cross-compilers to other languages|cross-compile to other languages]]; but this approach either fails to achieve the expected speed-up, since Python is a very [[dynamic language]], or only a restricted subset of Python is compiled (with potential minor semantic changes).<ref name=PyJL/>

Python's developers aim for the language to be fun to use. This goal is reflected in the name—a tribute to the British comedy group [[Monty Python]]<ref name="whyname"/>—and in playful approaches to some tutorials and reference materials. For instance, some code examples use the terms "spam" and "eggs" (in reference to [[Spam (Monty Python)|a Monty Python sketch]]), rather than the typical terms [[foobar|"foo" and "bar"]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insidetech.monster.com/training/articles/8114-15-ways-python-is-a-powerful-force-on-the-web|title=15 Ways Python Is a Powerful Force on the Web|access-date=3 July 2018|archive-date=11 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511065650/http://insidetech.monster.com/training/articles/8114-15-ways-python-is-a-powerful-force-on-the-web|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=pprint – Data pretty printer – Python 3.11.0 documentation |url=https://docs.python.org/3/library/pprint.html |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=docs.python.org |quote=stuff=['spam', 'eggs', 'lumberjack', 'knights', 'ni'] |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122224848/https://docs.python.org/3/library/pprint.html |url-status=live}}</ref> A common [[neologism]] in the Python community is ''pythonic'', which has a wide range of meanings related to program style. Pythonic code may use Python [[Programming idiom|idioms]] well; be natural or show fluency in the language; or conform with Python's minimalist philosophy and emphasis on readability.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.python-guide.org/writing/style|title=Code Style – The Hitchhiker's Guide to Python|website=docs.python-guide.org|access-date=20 January 2021|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127154341/https://docs.python-guide.org/writing/style/|url-status=live}}</ref>