1 .. _tutorial-index: 2 3 ###################### 4 The Python Tutorial 5 ###################### 6 7 Python is an easy to learn, powerful programming language. It has efficient 8 high-level data structures and a simple but effective approach to 9 object-oriented programming. Python's elegant syntax and dynamic typing, 10 together with its interpreted nature, make it an ideal language for scripting 11 and rapid application development in many areas on most platforms. 12 13 The Python interpreter and the extensive standard library are freely available 14 in source or binary form for all major platforms from the Python Web site, 15 https://www.python.org/, and may be freely distributed. The same site also 16 contains distributions of and pointers to many free third party Python modules, 17 programs and tools, and additional documentation. 18 19 The Python interpreter is easily extended with new functions and data types 20 implemented in C or C++ (or other languages callable from C). Python is also 21 suitable as an extension language for customizable applications. 22 23 This tutorial introduces the reader informally to the basic concepts and 24 features of the Python language and system. It helps to have a Python 25 interpreter handy for hands-on experience, but all examples are self-contained, 26 so the tutorial can be read off-line as well. 27 28 For a description of standard objects and modules, see :ref:`library-index`. 29 :ref:`reference-index` gives a more formal definition of the language. To write 30 extensions in C or C++, read :ref:`extending-index` and 31 :ref:`c-api-index`. There are also several books covering Python in depth. 32 33 This tutorial does not attempt to be comprehensive and cover every single 34 feature, or even every commonly used feature. Instead, it introduces many of 35 Python's most noteworthy features, and will give you a good idea of the 36 language's flavor and style. After reading it, you will be able to read and 37 write Python modules and programs, and you will be ready to learn more about the 38 various Python library modules described in :ref:`library-index`. 39 40 The :ref:`glossary` is also worth going through. 41 42 .. toctree:: 43 :numbered: 44 45 appetite.rst 46 interpreter.rst 47 introduction.rst 48 controlflow.rst 49 datastructures.rst 50 modules.rst 51 inputoutput.rst 52 errors.rst 53 classes.rst 54 stdlib.rst 55 stdlib2.rst 56 whatnow.rst 57 interactive.rst 58 floatingpoint.rst 59 appendix.rst 60
