title: Introduction to Computing Using Python: An Application Development Focus
author:  Ljubomir Perkovic 
description: <b>Ljubomir Perkovic</b> joined the CDM School of Computing faculty in September of 2000, after two years on the faculty of the Mathematics and Computer Science department at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Dr. Perkovic obtained his Ph.D. in Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization at the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, and he holds a B.A. degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Hunter College of the City University of New York. His research interests include distributed and wireless computing, computational geometry, graph theory and algorithms, probabilistic analysis of algorithms, and computational thinking. He is Co-PI on an NSF funded project to expand Computational Thinking across the Liberal Studies curriculum. He is also the coach of the DePaul Programming teams.
zlib_text: ![Fifth Edition](images/cover.png.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  # Python Pocket Reference
  
  ### Mark Lutz
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Chapter 1. Python Pocket Reference
  
  ## Introduction
  
   _Python_ is a general-purpose, multiparadigm, open source computer
  programming language,
  
  
  with support for object-oriented, functional, and procedural coding
  
  
  structures. It is commonly used both for standalone programs and for
  
  
  scripting applications in a wide variety of domains, and is generally
  
  
  considered to be one of the most widely used programming languages in the
  
  
  world.
  
  Among Python’s features are an emphasis on code readability and
  
  
  library functionality, and a design that optimizes developer productivity,
  
  
  software quality, program portability, and component integration. Python
  
  
  programs run on most platforms in common use, including Unix and Linux,
  
  
  Windows and Macintosh, Java and .NET, Android and iOS, and more.
  
  This _pocket reference_ summarizes Python types
  
  
  and statements, special method names, built-in functions 