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Guido van Rossum
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The Dutch programmer and creator of the Python programming language, which occupies a leading position in the TIOBE ranking, was known as the "benign dictator for life" until 2018. This nickname reflected his complete control over the development of Python, which contributed to the stability and consistency of the language's evolution. Python has become one of the most popular programming languages due to its simplicity, readability, and wide range of applications in various fields, including web development, scientific research, and artificial intelligence.
Guido van Rossum, the creator of the Python programming language, previously worked at companies such as Google and Dropbox. In 2019, he retired, but soon felt bored and decided to continue his career at Microsoft.
In an interview with the Oxford Union, Guido van Rossum shared his path into the world of programming, explaining why he chose to develop his own languages rather than use existing solutions. He also discussed the creation of Python, his experience at Google and Dropbox, and the importance of open source projects. Van Rossum emphasized the need for change in the IT community to attract more women to the field. We read his thoughts and decided to present them to you.
How I Became a Programmer
In 1966, when I turned ten years old, my parents gave me a young electronics kit. This event became a source of inspiration and joy for me. However, my peers didn't share my enthusiasm and didn't understand what was so fascinating about this kit.
By the end of school, I had become a true nerd. There were two other kids in our class with similar interests. Physics seemed not only fascinating but also accessible to us, so we didn't wait for the others and studied the textbook in advance. Sitting in the back row, we discussed our projects and ideas, which helped us deepen our knowledge and develop scientific thinking.
At the time, I was exclusively interested in digital electronics and didn't have sufficient knowledge of analog circuits. In fact, my fear of soldering still lingers.
In 1974, at the age of 18, I created my own circuit and submitted an article to a Dutch electronics magazine. Amazingly, the article was published—it became my first publication in the world of electronics.
That same year, I enrolled at the University of Amsterdam, choosing mathematics over physics. However, my interest in digital electronics remained strong. I considered store-bought calculators primitive, so I began designing my own devices to bring my ideas to life. This experience became the basis for further study and practical application of my knowledge in the field of electronics and programming.
While studying mathematics, I discovered a mainframe in the basement of the building. In fact, it was a complex system of wires connected to someone else's mainframe. The university offered students the opportunity to use the computer time to learn programming. One peek into the basement, I realized I wanted to spend much more time there. It became a source of inspiration and knowledge for me, where I was able to deepen my programming skills and get acquainted with the world of computing.
I aspired to build my own calculator, but soon realized that a mainframe was the best option out of all the existing ones. I had no chance of developing a more advanced machine, so I chose the path of a programmer and got a job in that field. I liked the work so much that I almost decided to leave school.
I mastered every programming language available at the time. I started with Algol 60 and Fortran, and then learned Pascal, Algol 68, and several lesser-known languages. This process was extremely exciting for me, and I only left my first job in 1982.
How I Created My Own Programming Language
For twelve years, I worked at the Center for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI) in Amsterdam. During the first four years, my team and I worked on improving the ABC programming language, which significantly increased its functionality and usability.
My university knowledge and self-study of twelve programming languages proved extremely useful. They allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of various aspects of software development, including creating an efficient and user-friendly language. I acquired skills in implementing interpreters, compilers, and parsers, which significantly simplified the solution of complex programming problems.
The ABC project failed to gain popularity, which led to its closure. As a result, all programmers were redistributed to other tasks. I ended up in a new team, where I began working on the development of the Amoeba distributed operating system.
Amoeba was developed from scratch in C and shell scripts. The project used a primitive UNIX emulator. However, copying the source code was impossible, since UNIX was not open source at the time.
Developing applications took a significant amount of time, and after several years, I came to the conclusion that I could write code faster using a new programming language. I realized the need for a language that combined elements of the Unix shell and C. Ideally, a language similar to ABC, but with enhancements to make development more efficient, would be ideal.
In 1989, we were given two weeks off for Christmas, and I decided to devote that time to my project. I worked at CWI during the day, and spent the mornings and evenings at my home Macintosh, using a C compiler for development. This period became an important stage in my career, as I was able to focus on programming and implement ideas that had long intrigued me.
Over the course of three months, I developed the Python programming language from scratch. I created a parser, implemented a bytecode compiler, implemented object-oriented programming (OOP), and added support for long integers, tuples, and strings. This experience gave me a deeper understanding of how programming languages work and their internal structure.
While developing Python, I used a number of concepts from the ABC language, while making some modifications and adapting ideas from C and Pascal.
After completing a working version, I presented it to my colleagues. They liked it, and for a whole year they actively helped me improve the language interpreter. I did not expect that in the second half of the 1990s, many scientists and programmers from CWI would start writing scripts in Python. This was an important step in the development of the language and its popularization in the scientific community.
Why I did everything not for the sake of Money was never a priority for me; I always enjoyed my work. The research center had an atmosphere of respect for employees, which allowed for initiative and creativity. Regardless of whether I was developing an operating system, creating a new programming language, or developing a backup utility, my colleagues always supported me and recognized the importance of my contribution. The main thing was to do my job well, and this was completely acceptable to management.
I became acquainted with open source while studying at the University of Amsterdam. This time was an important stage in my development of programming, as I saw how my code could benefit others. I managed to create several programs that were in demand among other mainframe users. This experience strengthened my belief in the power of co-creation and knowledge sharing in the developer community. For me, open source has become not only a tool, but also a philosophy that promotes the development of technology and improves the quality of software.
Many users do not realize that open source is an integral part of their daily lives, whether using a smartphone or browsing the Internet. Open source plays a key role in the development of software, allowing developers to share their solutions and improvements. Even large and conservative companies like Apple and Microsoft sometimes share their code, thereby promoting innovation and improving technology. Open source not only promotes faster software development but also ensures transparency, which is an important aspect for users and developers.
What are the advantages of Python and what will it be like in the future?
Java and Swift are ideal for developers with a background in computer science and programming skills. At the same time, Python is accessible to learn even for twelve-year-olds. This programming language is particularly useful for processing large amounts of data and analyzing information, making it a popular choice among both beginner and experienced developers. Python offers simple syntax and a wide range of libraries, making it easy to learn and work effectively with data.
Some programming languages show rapid growth only in their early years, after which their updates cease. In contrast, Python has shown steady growth and active development, making it a sought-after tool in modern programming. We carefully consider user feedback and needs, which contributes to the improvement of the language and its ecosystem. Python continues to adapt to developer requirements, confirming its popularity and reliability in various fields, from web development to scientific computing.
In 2008, we changed the language syntax and offered users the opportunity to upgrade from Python 2 to Python 3 by 2015. We did not expect to encounter so much dissatisfaction. We assumed that developers would simply update their code, but the volume of existing code turned out to be significant. As a result, we were forced to create backward-compatible versions and extend support for Python 2.7 until January 1, 2020.
Do I like corporate culture?
The atmosphere in large companies is significantly different from small ones. I worked at Google for seven years and decided to move to Dropbox because the company was much smaller at the time and offered a more personal approach to work.
Google is a huge company, and sometimes several teams are working on the same problem without even knowing about each other. Such situations can arise until a VP brings them to their attention. This leads to a discussion in which the teams argue about whose solution is most effective. This highlights the complexity of project management at such a large organization and the importance of coordination across diverse groups.
Google's food and health insurance were excellent, but they came with a burden of bureaucracy and internal politics that weren't always pleasant.
How the Tech Community Needs to Change for Women
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) continues to face challenges with gender inequality and underrepresentation. There are outdated stereotypes that women have a harder time pursuing math and other technical disciplines, but these claims lack scientific support. To improve the situation, the culture within the STEM community needs to change dramatically, creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for everyone. Actively involving women and minorities in educational programs and professional initiatives is an important step to help break down barriers and stereotypes and inspire the next generation of talented professionals.
Python-related conferences are held annually in the United States. One such conference is PyCon, founded in 2003. Women have traditionally presented at the conference, but in recent years there has been a trend of a decline in their number among speakers.
In 2011, a group of women began an active effort to improve the representation of women in tech, and by 2016, the proportion of talks presented by women increased from 1% to 40%. Despite this, there is still a shortage of women among Python core developers. We continue to work to change this situation and invite women to join our team to together promote diversity and inclusion in the Python community.
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