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What is programming?

Programming is writing instructions for computers to follow. Just like you might write a recipe for someone to cook a meal, you write code to tell a computer what to do. Computers are powerful but not smart. They need extremely detailed, step-by-step instructions for everything. A programming language is how we write these instructions in a way both humans and computers can understand.

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Why do we need programming languages?

Computers only understand binary (1s and 0s). Writing in binary would be impossible for humans, so we use programming languages as a middle ground:
  1. You write code in Python (looks like English)
  2. Python translates your code into instructions
  3. Computer executes those instructions

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What makes Python special?

Readable code

Python looks almost like plain English

Beginner friendly

Designed to be easy to learn

Versatile

Works for websites, AI, automation, and more

Huge community

Millions of people ready to help

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Your first taste of Python

Here’s what Python code looks like: 
# This is Python code - it almost reads like English!
name = "Sarah"
age = 25
print(f"Hello, my name is {name} and I am {age} years old")

# Making a simple decision
if age >= 18:
    print("I can vote!")
else:
    print("I'm too young to vote")
Notice how readable it is? That’s Python’s superpower.

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Python versions explained

  • Python 3 (current version): This is what you’ll learn and use. Check the versions here.
  • Python 2 (outdated): Stopped being supported in 2020. You might see old code mentioning it, but ignore it - it’s like using Windows XP.
Always use Python 3. If you see tutorials mentioning Python 2, find newer ones.

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Ready to install?

Continue to installing Python

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