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Welcome to CPython Documentation

The complete guide to Python’s reference implementation — from getting started to advanced internals. Learn the language, explore the standard library, and dive into C API development.

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Quick start

Get Python up and running on your system in minutes

1

Download Python

Get the latest Python release from python.org or build from source.
# On Unix/Linux/macOS
./configure
make
make test
sudo make install
2

Verify Installation

Check that Python is installed correctly by running:
python3 --version

Python 3.15.0a6
3

Run Your First Program

Create a simple Python script and run it:
hello.py
print("Hello, World!")

python3 hello.py
4

Explore Further

Continue with the tutorial to learn Python fundamentals, or dive into the standard library to discover built-in modules.

Explore by topic

Find what you need across tutorials, reference docs, and internals

Python Tutorial

Learn Python from the ground up with our comprehensive tutorial series

Language Reference

Formal specification of Python syntax, semantics, and execution model

Standard Library

Explore 200+ built-in modules for everything from file I/O to networking

C API Reference

Extend and embed Python using the comprehensive C API

CPython Internals

Deep dive into the interpreter, compiler, and runtime implementation

How-To Guides

Practical guides for common Python programming tasks

Popular modules

Most commonly used modules in the Python standard library

os — Operating System Interface

Interact with the operating system: file operations, environment variables, process management

View module

sys — System-specific Parameters

Access interpreter variables, command-line arguments, and system-level configuration

View module

asyncio — Asynchronous I/O

Write concurrent code using async/await syntax for high-performance applications

View module

pathlib — Object-oriented Filesystem Paths

Modern, intuitive API for working with file paths across platforms

View module

Resources

Connect with the Python community and contribute to development

Contributing Guide

Learn how to contribute to CPython development

GitHub Repository

View source code, report issues, and submit pull requests

Python Discourse

Join discussions with the Python community

Developer's Guide

Complete guide for CPython core developers

Ready to start with Python?

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