Module 1 · Introduction to Python · Lesson 2 of 6

What makes Python so special

Plenty of languages can do the job. Python's superpower is how little it asks of you to get there. The same task that needs a wall of boilerplate elsewhere is often a single, readable line in Python.

Print “Hello!” — same task, two languages

Java

public class Main {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("Hello!");
  }
}

Python

print("Hello!")

Reads almost like EnglishFree & open sourceBatteries includedRuns on every OSHuge, friendly community

That readability is by design — Python reads almost like English, with meaning shown by indentation instead of a clutter of braces and semicolons. It's easy to write, but just as importantly, easy to read later, which is where programmers spend most of their time.

Around that core sits the rest of the appeal: it's free and open source, ships “batteries included” with a huge standard library, runs on every major operating system, and has one of the largest, friendliest communities in software. That combination is why it's so often the first language people learn — and one they keep using for decades.