Chapter 1. Introduction to Python for ArcGIS
In this chapter, we will discuss the development of Python as a programming language, from its beginning in the late 1980s to its current state. We will discuss the philosophy of design that spurred its development, and touch on important modules that will be used throughout the book, especially focusing on the modules built into the Python standard library. This overview of the language and its features will help explain what makes Python a great language for ArcGIS automation.
This chapter will cover:
- A quick overview of Python: What it is and does, who created it, and where it is now
- The ArcPy module and other important modules
- Python as a general purpose programming language
