I decided to start learning Python recently. I figured I should try learning something new outside the C-family of languages (C, C++, Java, C#, etc) just for kicks. Python seems like the perfect language to make that transition that I want since it is somewhere between C and non-C in terms of syntax.

Since I have no idea how to start learning Python, I decided to ask a question on Programmers on Stack Exchange, which is a Q&A site that I visit most of the time. I also tried searching the net for good books about learning how to code in Python. The best one I found was a book called Dive Into Python, which is for experienced programmers who are new to Python. I thought it was perfect for me because I don’t want to have to read about stuff I know already.

After following the setup guide for Python development and reading some of the first few pages of the book, I immediately tried writing a ‘Hello World’ program. I couldn’t believe how short the code was. It only took one line to write a Python application that outputs “Hello World” on the console window.

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print "Hello World"

If you came from a C-language background, you’ll know how I feel right about now because you have to write a decent amount of code to output the same thing on the console window if you used C-like languages. As I write this post, I still can’t get over the fact about how ridiculously short a ‘Hello World’ application in Python is.

Another thing that I like about Python right now is how its syntax is very close to the English language. I’m pretty sure we’ll get along just fine because I value syntax readability a lot.