In this age, every now and then, for one or many reasons, you need help with the digital world and computer systems. From a little task to a huge one, whether it may be searching for some officials or watching Netflix shows, transactions or booking cabs, etc. For performing these tasks, a set algorithm is used and which is built up by using various programming languages. One such language is Python. Python is amongst the most popular programming languages in the world. It is a general-purpose language designed in such a way that it deals with a range of applications such as automation, software and web development, and data science in a vast way. This article will explore comments in Python, but first, let us know briefly about the Python language and why it is popular.
What does Python mean?
Python can be stated as a programming language used by computers to perform tasks automation, analysis of data, web development, creating websites and software, etc. It is a general-purpose language that can be used in a variety of operations and programs. The reason behind the popularity of Python is due to its beginner-friendly nature and versatility. It is stated as the second most popular language for web development in 2021 by RedMonk.
Python is an easy language to learn and is widely used for data analysis, data visualizations, and also in the development of software and websites. As it is user-friendly, it is adopted in many non-programming fields such as accountants and scientific work to maintain their financial assets. Python is very useful for scripting and automation, software testing and prototyping, web development and machine learning, and data analysis, including all of the help mentioned earlier in everyday tasks.
Reasons for Python’s popularity
As we have stated before, Python is one of the most user-friendly programming languages due to its versatility and is very easy for coders to learn; some reasons for its demand are discussed below. Let’s have a look at them in-depth.
- Simple Syntax: Python is very easy and has a very simple syntax that facilitates users and feels like mimics of natural language that is easy to read and understand. Therefore, new projects can be built in less time and easily manipulated.
- Dynamic and Versatile: Python is classified under dynamic programming languages as it does not have any set rules or instruction sets. It is easy to use in any field, from web development to AI and Machine learning.
- Open Source: It is very helpful, available for free to use and distribute even for general and commercial purposes. It is best suitable for entry-level coders.
- Modules and libraries: Python has a very large capacity of libraries which helps to explore more. Modules and codes refer to the saved codes that are used by third parties to expand Python’s capabilities.
- Active and large community: It has a very large and active community that helps to build a vast python pool of various modules and libraries, which helps a number of users to solve the problems that were faced by some other users before.
What are comments in Python?
The short descriptions along with the main codes to provide users enhanced readability are referred to as a comment in python. It clearly states why a code is written and specifies its use. Any user takes the help of comments to process their thoughts along with main codes. They help the reader and the user understand why and for what reason the code is being written, and python does not interpret and is completely ignored in Python.
Types of comments in Python
Comments in Python are classified under three categories, namely Single line, Multi-line, and Docstring comments. According to the requirements in syntax, they are being used. Let us understand in depth each one of them below :
Single -Line comments
Anything in a line that begins with ‘#’ is referred to as a comment. Single-line comments always start with ‘#’. The syntax used in writing single-line comments is
# comment here
There are two ways to write and represent a single-line comment in python. Either you can use it before or after the code. It is defined by the Python Style Guide, which recommends using only 79 characters in single-line comments, which makes it easier to read. If, in any case, your comment exceeds the defined character value, then opt for the next type of comment, i.e., multi-line comments.
Multi-line comments
Python is incapable of supporting the multi-line comment option. However, there are many ways to overcome this issue. No one can state it wrong; just designate each line with ‘#’ at the start of every line in a comment. Or the second method is by using string literal but not assigning them to any variables as python’s interpreter ignores them. For this purpose, it is easy to use (“) a single quotation or just add up to a double quotation (“”). You can go through a multi-line string by using ” or “” three times consecutively.
Python Docstrings
For making comments on any module, python provides you with an inbuilt featured library that helps in functions, classes, objects, and methods. Docstrings are defined in the first line after defining methods, classes, etc., using three quotation marks ( ” or””). If you, in case forget to use the first line, then the interpreter won’t consider it as a docstring. You can also regenerate docstring by using the___ doc___attribute.
Advantages of using Comments in Python
There are numerous advantages of using different types of comments in python. They all have their own significance. By using this, we are able to enhance readability, it helps to explain code easily to others, including different resources, and we are able to use code after a long term again and reuse it flexibly. The benefits are mentioned as follows:
- It helps us to remember why we have used all the methods, codes, and functions.
- The codes are so designed with comments that they become self-explanatory.
- Easily understood by the programmers who refer to codes and descriptions.
- It provides an ease to the interpreter to skip some of the lengthy parts at the time of testing the codes. And hence they play an important role in the programming languages such as python.
Willing to learn more about Python? Why not take an online Python training course and gain expertise in it.
