History of Python: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Python logo and wordmark.svg|alt=|thumb|New Python logo, 2006–present]]

[[File:Guido-portrait-2014.jpg|thumb|Guido van Rossum in 2014]]

{{Main|Python (programming language)}}

The [[programming language]] [[Python (programming language)|Python]] was conceived in the late 1980s,<ref name="venners-interview-pt-1">{{cite web |url=http://www.artima.com/intv/pythonP.html |title=The Making of Python |access-date=March 22, 2007 |publisher=Artima Developer |archive-date=September 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160901183332/http://www.artima.com/intv/pythonP.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and its implementation was started in December 1989<ref name="timeline-of-python" /> by [[Guido van Rossum]] at [[Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica|CWI]] in [[the Netherlands]] as a successor to [[ABC (programming language)|ABC]] capable of [[exception handling]] and interfacing with the [[Amoeba (operating system)|Amoeba operating system]].<ref name="faq-created">{{cite web |url=https://www.python.org/doc/faq/general/#why-was-python-created-in-the-first-place |title=Why was Python created in the first place? |publisher=Python FAQ |access-date=March 22, 2007 |archive-date=February 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080223222507/http://www.python.org/doc/faq/general/#why-was-python-created-in-the-first-place |url-status=live}}</ref> Van Rossum was Python's principal author and had a central role in deciding the direction of Python (as reflected in the title given to him by the Python community, [[Benevolent dictator for life|''Benevolent Dictator for Life'' (BDFL)]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=235725 |title=Origin of BDFL |first=Guido |last=van Rossum |date=July 31, 2008 |access-date=August 1, 2008 |archive-date=January 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110116210946/http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=235725 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Python-Creator-Scripts-Inside-Google/ |title=Python Creator Scripts Inside Google |date=March 7, 2006 |publisher=www.eweek.com |access-date=May 13, 2008 |archive-date=August 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180809122951/http://www.eweek.com/development/python-creator-scripts-inside-google |url-status=live}}</ref>) until stepping down as leader on July 12, 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fairchild |first1=Carlie |title=Guido van Rossum Stepping Down from Role as Python's Benevolent Dictator For Life |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/guido-van-rossum-stepping-down-role-pythons-benevolent-dictator-life |access-date=July 12, 2018 |work=Linux Journal |date=July 12, 2018 |language=en |archive-date=July 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713192427/https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/guido-van-rossum-stepping-down-role-pythons-benevolent-dictator-life |url-status=live}}</ref> Python was named after the [[BBC TV]] show ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://docs.python.org/3/faq/general.html#why-is-it-called-python |title=General Python FAQ — Python 3.8.3 documentation |website=docs.python.org |access-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-date=October 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024164224/http://docs.python.org/faq/general.html#why-is-it-called-python |url-status=live}}</ref>

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Python 3.0, a major, backwards-incompatible release, was released on December 3, 2008<ref name="3.0-release">{{cite web |url=https://www.python.org/download/releases/3.0/ |title=Welcome to Python.org |work=python.org |access-date=December 27, 2016 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614153714/https://www.python.org/download/releases/3.0/ |url-status=live}}</ref> after a long period of testing. Many of its major features were also [[backport]]ed to the backwards-compatible Python versions 2.6 and 2.7<ref name="pep-3000" /> until support for Python 2 finally ceased at the beginning of [[2020]]. Releases of Python&nbsp;3 include the <code>2to3</code> utility, which automates the translation of Python&nbsp;2 code to Python&nbsp;3.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2to3 – Automated Python 2 to 3 code translation|url=https://docs.python.org/3/library/2to3.html|access-date=2021-02-02|website=docs.python.org|archive-date=4 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604232823/https://docs.python.org/3/library/2to3.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{As of|2025|0608|119|since=n}}, Python 3.13.56 is the latest stable release. This version currently receives full bug-fix and security updates, while Python 3.12—released in October 2023—had active bug-fix support only until April 2025, and since then only security fixes. Python 3.9<ref>{{Cite web |last=Langa |first=Łukasz |date=2022-05-17 |title=Python 3.9.13 is now available |url=https://pythoninsider.blogspot.com/2022/05/python-3913-is-now-available.html |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=Python Insider |archive-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517173546/https://pythoninsider.blogspot.com/2022/05/python-3913-is-now-available.html |url-status=live}}</ref> is the oldest supported version of Python (albeit in the 'security support' phase), because Python 3.8 has become an end-of-life product.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Status of Python versions |url=https://devguide.python.org/versions/ |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Python Developer's Guide |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=8 October 2024 |title=Python |url=https://endoflife.date/python |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=endoflife.date |language=en-US }}</ref>

==Early history==

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|-

| {{Version|c|3.13}}

| ''3.13.57''<ref name="pep-0719" />{{Update after|2025|0810|0507}}

| 2024-10-07<ref name="pep-0719" />

| 2026-05<ref name="pep-0719" />{{Update after|2026|05}}

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{{smalldiv|1=

{{Version|l|show=111111}}

''Italics'' indicates the latest micro version of currently supported versions as of 2025-0708-2206{{Update after|2025|0810|0507}}.

}}

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==References==

{{reflist|1=30em|refs=

<ref name="timeline-of-python">{{cite web |url=httphttps://python-history.blogspot.com/2009/01/brief-timeline-of-python.html |title=A Brief Timeline of Python |last=van Rossum |first=Guido |author-link1=Guido van Rossum |date=2009-01-20 |access-date=2019-11-29 |archive-date=August 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825101117/http://python-history.blogspot.com/2009/01/brief-timeline-of-python.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="downloads">{{cite web|url=https://www.python.org/downloads/|title=Download Python {{!}} Python.org|access-date=2019-11-29|archive-date=August 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808035421/https://www.python.org/downloads/|url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="releases">{{cite web|url=https://www.python.org/download/releases|title=Releases {{!}} Python.org|access-date=2019-11-29|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222142552/https://www.python.org/download/releases/|url-status=live}}</ref>

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==External links==

* [httphttps://python-history.blogspot.com/ Guido Van Rossum blog on Python's History]

{{DEFAULTSORT:History Of Python}}