2. Fields of application

Apart from very specific platforms, there is no longer any system on which a Python interpreter cannot be installed, or is not already installed. Most Linux distributions, for example, come with a recent version of the interpreter by default. This availability makes Python the language of choice in many fields.

Its multi-paradigm aspect is an added advantage: unlike languages like Java, it doesn't impose a particular programming mode. Everyone is free to do simple functional programming or more advanced object-oriented programming.

This section summarizes the application areas in which Python is most widely used, namely :

• system programming ;

• the scientific field ;

• the industrial sector ;

• multimedia...