Functional Programming For Dummies

Chapter 2

Getting and Using Python

IN THIS CHAPTER

Obtaining and using Python

Downloading and installing the datasets and example code

Running an application

Writing Python code

As mentioned in Chapter 1, Python is a flexible language that supports multiple coding styles, including an implementation of the functional programming paradigm. However, Python’s implementation is impure because it does support the other coding styles. Consequently, you choose between flexibility and the features that functional programming can provide when you choose Python. Many developers choose flexibility (and therefore Python), but there is no right or wrong choice — just the choice that works best for you. This chapter helps you set up, configure, and become familiar with Python so that you can use it in the book chapters that follow.

This book uses Anaconda 5.1, which supports Python 3.6.4. If you use a different distribution, some of the procedural steps in the book will likely fail to work as expected, ...