- Interpretation: CPython is an interpreted language, which means that Python code is executed line by line by the CPython interpreter. The interpreter reads the Python code, compiles it into bytecode, and then executes it on the host machine.
- Reference Implementation: CPython serves as the reference implementation of Python. This means that the Python language specification and features are primarily defined by the CPython implementation. Other Python implementations strive to be compatible with CPython to ensure code portability.
- Written in C: CPython is written in the C programming language. The CPython interpreter itself is a C program that provides a bridge between Python code and the underlying hardware and operating system.
- Global Interpreter Lock (GIL): One of the notable features of CPython is the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL). The GIL is a mutex that allows only one thread to execute Python bytecode at a time, even on multi-core processors. This can impact the performance of multi-threaded Python programs since it limits true parallelism.
- Standard Library: CPython comes with an extensive standard library that provides a wide range of modules and functions for tasks like file I/O, networking, data manipulation, and more. This standard library is an integral part of CPython and makes it a versatile and powerful language for various application domains.
- Community and Ecosystem: CPython has a large and active community of developers and users. This community contributes to the development of the language, maintains third-party packages through the Python Package Index (PyPI), and provides support through forums, mailing lists, and other resources.
- Portability: CPython is available on a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and various Unix-like systems, making it highly portable and suitable for cross-platform development.
- Open Source: CPython is open-source software released under the Python Software Foundation License (PSF). This means that it is free to use, modify, and distribute.
While CPython is the dominant implementation of Python, it’s worth noting that other Python implementations like PyPy have gained popularity in some use cases due to their performance improvements, especially in scenarios involving CPU-bound tasks or Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation.
