py

Py is a commonly used shorthand for Python, the high-level, general-purpose programming language created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991. The name Py is used in informal contexts and in some project names, but it does not denote a separate language. Python emphasizes readability, simplicity, and explicitness, and it follows a philosophy of offering batteries-included standard libraries.

Python is dynamically typed and interpreted, with automatic memory management. It supports procedural, object-oriented, and functional styles. The syntax emphasizes readability and simplicity, and Python ships with a large standard library. A rich ecosystem of third-party packages extends its capabilities, distributed via the Python Package Index (PyPI) and installed with pip.

Implementations: CPython is the reference implementation in C and the most widely used. Other implementations include PyPy (with a Just-In-Time compiler), Jython (on the JVM), and IronPython (on .NET). Most Python code runs on any compliant implementation. The Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) in CPython can affect true parallelism in multi-threaded programs.

Applications: Python is used in web development (Django, Flask), data science (NumPy, pandas, scikit-learn), automation and systems scripting, education, and scientific computing. Its portability and readability support rapid development, while its mature ecosystem enables complex projects. Python 3.x serves as the current major line, with new features and improvements released regularly.

History and governance: Python was created in the late 1980s and released in 1991. The transition from Python 2 to Python 3 began in the 2000s and ended with the official end of life for Python 2 in 2020. The language is stewarded through a community process (PEP proposals) coordinated by the Python Software Foundation.