Usage
Python is often used as a scripting language for web applications, e.g. via mod_wsgi for the Apache web server. With Web Server Gateway Interface, a standard API has been developed to facilitate these applications. Web application frameworks like Django, Pylons, Pyramid, TurboGears, web2py, Tornado, Flask and Zope support developers in the design and maintenance of complex applications. Libraries like NumPy, SciPy and Matplotlib allow Python to be used effectively in scientific computing.
Python has been successfully embedded in a number of software products as a scripting language, including in finite element method software such as Abaqus, 3D animation packages such as Blender, Cinema 4D, Lightwave, Houdini, Maya, modo, MotionBuilder, Softimage, the visual effects compositor Nuke, and 2D imaging programs like GIMP, Inkscape, Scribus and Paint Shop Pro. GNU GDB uses Python as a pretty printer to show complex structures such as C++ containers. ESRI is now promoting Python as the best choice for writing scripts in ArcGIS. It has even been used in several video games, and has been adopted as first of the three available programming languages in Google App Engine, the other two being Java and Go.
Thanks to being a scripting language with module architecture, syntax simplicity and rich text processing tools, Python is often used for Natural language processing tasks. Python has also been used in Artificial Intelligence tasks.
For many operating systems, Python is a standard component; it ships with most Linux distributions, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD and with OS X and can be used from the terminal. A number of Linux distributions use installers written in Python: Ubuntu uses the Ubiquity installer, while Red Hat Linux and Fedora use the Anaconda installer. Gentoo Linux uses Python in its package management system, Portage and the standard tool to access it, emerge. Pardus uses it for administration and during system boot.
Python has also seen extensive use in the information security industry, including exploit development.
Among the users of Python are YouTube, the original BitTorrent client, and Spotify. Large organizations that make use of Python include Google, Yahoo!, CERN, NASA, ILM, and ITA. Most of the Sugar software for the One Laptop per Child XO, now developed at Sugar Labs, is written in Python.. The Raspberry Pi single-board computer project has adopted Python as its principal user programming language.
In addition to standard desktop Python IDEs, there are also browser-based IDEs, such as NCLab and Sage, intended for developing science and math-related Python programs.
As of October 2012, Python ranks at position 8 in the TIOBE Programming Community Index.
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