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(python2.1-ref.info)Front Matter

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Front Matter
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Copyright (C) 2001-2002 Python Software Foundation.  All rights
reserved.

Copyright (C) 2000 BeOpen.com.  All rights reserved.

Copyright (C) 1995-2000 Corporation for National Research Initiatives.
All rights reserved.

Copyright (C) 1991-1995 Stichting Mathematisch Centrum.  All rights
reserved.

See the end of this document for complete license and permissions
information.

     Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming
     language with dynamic semantics.  Its high-level built in data
     structures, combined with dynamic typing and dynamic binding, make
     it very attractive for rapid application development, as well as
     for use as a scripting or glue language to connect existing
     components together.  Python's simple, easy to learn syntax
     emphasizes readability and therefore reduces the cost of program
     maintenance.  Python supports modules and packages, which
     encourages program modularity and code reuse.  The Python
     interpreter and the extensive standard library are available in
     source or binary form without charge for all major platforms, and
     can be freely distributed.

     This reference manual describes the syntax and "core semantics" of
     the language.  It is terse, but attempts to be exact and complete.
     The semantics of non-essential built-in object types and of the
     built-in functions and modules are described in the .  For an
     informal introduction to the language, see the .  For C or C++
     programmers, two additional manuals exist:  describes the
     high-level picture of how to write a Python extension module, and
     the  describes the interfaces available to C/C++ programmers in
     detail.