Why Python?

Python is a free, open-source, general-purpose and high-level programming language. It’s relatively easy to learn, and the syntax facilitates writing new code fairly quickly. In the last few years it has become one of the most widely used general programming languages (see here and here) and among the most popular languages for data science applications. It’s also widely used in the scientific community in general, and in Oceanography specifically (see here, here and here).

Python runs on all major operating systems (including Windows, MacOS and Linux) and on computers from the smallest to the largest. It’s often used in introductory programming classes, especially outside Computer Science majors.

An open-source language, it is freely available to anyone for any purpose, and both the core language (Python proper) and a very large “ecosystem” of packages (libraries) engage a wide range of contributors. But this openness sometimes leads to a disorienting set of choices, including the Python version, the sources and software used to install Python and write code in Python, and specialized packages used to accomplish specific tasks. Compared to, say, Matlab, the entry points can be more confusing. But there are tons of helpful resources and communities online!