In this chapter, we will discuss the development of Python as a programming language from its introduction in the late 1980s to its current state. We will discuss the creator of the language and the philosophy of design that spurred its development. We will also touch on important modules that will be used throughout the rest of the book, and especially focus on the modules built into the Python Standard Library. We will configure Python and the computer to execute Python scripts. The structure of the Python folder will be discussed, as will the location of the ArcPy module within the ArcGIS folder structure. We will also discuss Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)--programs designed to assist in code creation and code execution--comparing and contrasting existing IDEs to determine what benefits each IDE can offer when scripting Python code.
This chapter will cover the following topics:
- Quick Overview of Python: what it is and what it does, who created it, where is it now
- Important Python modules, both built-in and third party
- Python core concepts including data types, data containers, and looping
- The location of the Python interpreter, and how it is called to execute a script
- Adjusting the computer's environment variables to ensure correct code execution
- Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)
- Python's folder structure, and where the modules are stored
