Overview of Python

Python, created by Guido van Rossum in 1989, was named after his favorite comedy troupe, Monty Python. His work group at the time had a tradition of naming programs after TV shows, and he wanted something irreverent and different from its predecessors - ABC, Pascal, Ada, Eiffel, FORTRAN, and others. So he settled on Python, feeling it was a bit edgy and catchy as well. It's certainly more fun to say than C, the language on which Python is based.

Today, Python is a major programming language. It is used in web development, database administration, and even to program robots. Most importantly to GIS Analysts, Python can be used to control ArcGIS tools and Map Documents to produce geospatial data and maps in an organized and speedy manner using the excellent ArcPy module.

ArcPy is installed with ArcGIS for desktop and ArcGIS for server. ArcPy has been the official ArcGIS scripting language since ArcGIS 10.0 and has steadily improved in functionality and implementation. This book will target ArcGIS for Desktop 10.1 and later, and will demonstrate how to make use of Python and its powerful programming libraries (or modules) when crafting complex geospatial analyses.