I’ve always been interested in computer programming, scripting, and coding in general. Over the years, I’ve dabbled in C, C++, Basic, and Visual Basic, but none of these really ever captured my attention, and I never really got past the basics of each language. On the Internet side of things, I’m fairly proficient in html/xhtml and CSS, and have a healthy smattering of PHP and JavaScript. I think I have a decent foundation to take the plunge into a full-fledged programming language.

So why did I choose Python? It was an easy decision. Here are some of the factors that helped me make my final choice.

• Great community
• Mature language
• Great syntax
• Huge library / lots of modules
• Extremely portable
• Open Source
• Support, support, support
• Google uses it (nice reference)
• Great for WebDev (which is primarily what I’m going for)

Some of the runner’s up were Ruby, PHP, Java, C++, and Lisp. One of the most important lessons that I took away from my research was this: a programming language is just another tool in your toolbox. The best programmers have a vast array of tools in their toolbox. With that said, there may be a time when I go back and study those other languages. Until then…


print "Hello Python"
Hello Python