7+ Key Features of Python that Makes it Different

Despite being old, Python is considered to be one of the best programming languages out there. No other programming language matches the flexibility and functionality that Python offers.

Most developers love Python because it’s simple, easy to use and the users can write code faster compared to other programming languages.

And to understand, let’s take a look at some interesting features of Python.

Also read: Complete Python Roadmap for Beginners

Python key features

1. Easier to get started

Python is easier to get started than a lot of other languages, but it gives users all the power that you would ever need. You can use Python to build a website, a game, and even to analyze data. All you have to do is install Python, which usually doesn’t take more than half an hour. Then you can write Python code in your favorite code editor and run it using the command-line interface.

Another reason why Python is loved is that it has clear syntax and it’s easier to read — overall Python is super beginner-friendly.

2. Free, open-source, and cross-platform

Python is free and open-source. It has a community-based development model made up of both volunteers and paid contributors, meaning that it is developed by people who work on it in their free time as well as those who are paid to work on it full time. This model works very well for Python because the core development team is small enough to keep track of changes made to the language but large enough to ensure that someone is always available to review patches (changes) submitted by other developers.

Python is also a cross-platform language – you can run the same code on multiple platforms without needing to recompile it each time. This means that Python works on Mac, Windows, and many flavors of Linux and Unix!

3. Tons of useful libraries

Python has tons of useful libraries available for anyone to use. Libraries are packages of pre-written code that you can import into your project and use in order to avoid having to write the same code over and over again.

Python libraries also reduce the number of lines of code necessary to accomplish a task.

You can find tons of amazing Python libraries on PyPI repositories.

Interesting Python libraries for data science

4. Huge community support

Python has huge community support available online. If you get stuck, there are plenty of resources to help you out. Whether it’s StackOverflow or Quora, there is an active community of Python users who can help you out with your coding problems.

Not just that, the community has built a large variety of tools that work with Python and that you can take help of in your own projects.

5. Object-oriented approach

Python is an object-oriented programming language. It allows users to manage their data structures in an object-oriented fashion and provides them with the support of classes, objects, and inheritance.

Object-oriented programming (OOP) refers to the way of organizing and structuring your code so that it consists of small parts called objects that combine together to perform complex tasks. Objects are defined by their attributes and methods, which are often variables and functions respectively.

6. Interpreted language

Python is an interpreted language that means you can run the program as soon as you make any changes to the file. However, this has both positive and negative consequences — Python is slower than C (which is a compiled language). This leads to decreased speed, but very fast development time.

Compiled Language vs Interpreted Language — Difference between Compiled Language and Interpreted Language.

For your information, an interpreted language is a type of programming language in which the code is directly executed by the interpreter as you can see in the above image.

7. High-level language

High-level programming languages tend to be easier for humans to use (and for some humans to read) than low-level programming languages.

And, Python is a high-level language as it has clear syntax and is easier to read.

8. Dynamically-typed language

Python is a dynamically-typed language.

Dynamic typing refers to the fact that arguments and return values aren’t explicitly declared in the source code. In practice, this means you don’t have to declare what type an object is, but it also means the compiler can’t do much static analysis on your code.