Programming languages all come with a variety of data structures, each suited to specific kinds of jobs. Among the data structures built into Python, the dictionary, or Python dict, stands out.

SEE: How to build a successful developer career (free PDF) "If you don't know any programming languages yet, Python is a good place to start. If you already know a different language, it's easy to ...

Unlike Java, Python is multiparadigm and supports OO, procedural, and functional programming styles, he says. (Java recently added functional capabilities in Java 8.) ...