What is Python?

Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991. It's built around a simple idea: code should be easy to read and easy to write, so more of your time goes into solving problems instead of fighting the language's syntax.

Python is an interpreted language. Instead of compiling your entire program into a separate file before you can run it — the way Java is compiled into bytecode with a distinct build step — a program called the Python interpreter reads your code and runs it directly, statement by statement. This makes the edit-and-run cycle very fast: you save a file and run it immediately, with no separate compilation step of your own to trigger.

print("Hello, World!")

One of Python's most distinctive features is that it uses whitespace — specifically, indentation — to mark blocks of code, instead of curly braces {} like Java. If you indent a line incorrectly, Python won't just complain about style: it can change what your code actually does, or refuse to run at all. This forces every Python program to be laid out consistently, which makes code easier for you — and everyone else — to read.

Instead of curly braces, Python uses ____ to mark blocks of code, such as the body of a loop or function.

Python is also a general-purpose language, meaning it isn't built for just one job. It's one of the most popular languages for web development (with frameworks like Django and Flask), data science and machine learning (with libraries like pandas and NumPy), automating repetitive tasks and writing scripts, and even building simple games and desktop tools.

What does it mean that Python is an "interpreted" language?

In Python, incorrect indentation can cause an error or change how your program behaves.