Python was first released in the late 1980s by Guido van Rossum and since then it gained in popularity, now being one of the most commonly used programming languages all over the world. Before jumping into our reasons for why you should choose Python over other programming languages, let’s talk a little about the language itself and give it a small introduction.
What is Python?
So, what is Python exactly? As you already know by now, Python is a programming language. It is one of the older ones out there, but it’s still very popular amongst most programmers. Python is an open-source language, which means that the source code is open for anyone to change it by will. This is great, because being open-source, you don’t have to pay for using the language. Everyone can learn and use it to create something, even companies can have it for free.
Open-source also means that you get a huge community using the language. This can be a great bonus, if you want to be more productive using it. Why is that the case? Just, think about it. When you’re writing code, there’s a pretty big chance that you’ll come across something that can prove to be an issue. So, now what? You can take a look in the documentation. But a better and faster approach would be to look for a solution in an online forum where they talk about Python.
You will most likely find a solution that will fit your needs, because someone else has probably already dealt with that issue. On top of this, the Python community is known to be friendly. So, be sure they’ll help you out if anything comes up.
Python comes with another huge perk that is most useful for new programmers: it is easy to grasp. If you’re just starting out as a developer, learning Python can be one of your best decisions. The language was designed to be simple for newcomers and it includes a tool that makes the learning process even better. This built-in tool is called PEP 8.
It’s basically a set of rules that plays a part when you write your code. It tells every Python developer how the code must be formatted. You will make less and less mistakes by paying attention to what PEP 8 is telling you to do. For example, you’ll know exactly when a new line should be started. If you use Python like this, the code you write will look a lot the same like as the code other professionals write.
But you may be thinking that this is all good and nice, but how can you tell if it’s worth checking out Python. I mean you know that it’s an easy to learn language that can be used by anyone without restrictions, but is it worth learning? This is what will cover right know.
Is it Worth Learning Over Other Languages?
The short answer is YES, it definitely is. But why? Let’s elaborate on this idea. Once we get to the end of the article, you’ll know exactly why Python could be your next best decision.
First if all, when you want to learn a new programming language, you have to choose one that stands up to the test of time. What this means is, that a new language that you try to grasp must be worth your time. After all, if you learn it and you become a professional using it, but it suddenly disappears, there’s not much reason that you learned it the first place. When putting time into grasping a new programming language, you must be sure it will be in use even years to come.
Is Python that kind of a technology? Yes, it is. Since it was first released, it only gained in popularity. More and more people and companies are using it as a base for their projects. If you choose to side with Python, you won’t regret it. You’ll surely use it in the years to come.
On the other hand, a new language must be good to get the job done in an efficient manner. Is Python like that? Let me list here some of the things you can do with it:
- Create web applications for all kinds of websites
- Create desktop applications or traditional software
- Automating tasks
- Design a website
- Etc…
But is Python efficient at doing all this and even other things? Yes. To let you know why, we’ll talk about Python’s dynamically built functionality. Basically, the fact that Python is a dynamic language means that any new code can be run / executed during runtime, without any limitations. You don’t have to stop all the development process, just to add some new lines of code.
How is this achieved? For example, let’s say that your started executing a program you just wrote. The same interpreter can execute different versions of the written code. You can add a new piece of code to the program (a new part to the algorithm) and run in without stopping it. This can really accelerate the development process. The only drawback is that any error will be shown once the program was fully tested.
Now I’ll mention another huge bonus if you choose Python over other languages. Python is approved by data scientists. You might think that this is not that big of a deal. But think again. If Python is being efficiently used by data scientists, it means that it can quickly become one of the world’s leading languages for programming.
If you’re looking to work as a developer for others using Python, then let me give you another perk. This involves the idea that Python needs less resources to be handled correctly. Even a small team can work efficiently on a project if it uses Python as the main language. Basically, any program that’s written in Python needs way less code than the same program in another language, C++ for example.
Check this chunk of code and you’ll surely tell the difference. Printing out (displaying) ‘’Hello World’’ using C++ is done with the following piece of code:
[code]#include<iostream>
int main ()
{
std:: cout << “Hello world!”;
return 0;
}[/code]
The same thing written in Python goes like this:
[code]print(“Hello world!”)[/code]
I think you can easily tell the difference of which one is more efficient and quicker. If you work for someone else creating an application, Python can make your life easier by accelerating the design process, with less code that needs to be written. You and the client will both be much more satisfied with the final outcome.
Something that convinces many people to try out Python is the fact that more and more leading companies implement it as their central programming language. For instance, companies like Google, Instagram, Spotify, Dropbox, Disney, Electronic Arts and even NASA are using Python as their main language. This thread is spreading even more among smaller companies as well, because they see the benefit in using an easy to grasp ad efficient programming language as the central part in their systems.
Python is also great at introspection. This is thanks to the transparency of the code itself. For example, a developer can write a dirty program, or with other words, apply some hacks to take care of a specific problem. This is acceptable if the program is in testing phase, because the programmer can find where the glitch is and remove it, then rewrite the code for the final release of the software.
Conclusion
All in all, what do you say? Is Python worth your time? I certainly think it is. Let’s recap what we talked in this article:
- First of all, we refreshed what Python is and why so many people use it these days.
- We talked about the fact that Python is an open-source programming language, and we also covered some of the benefits that come out of this.
- I also mentioned that any programming language you want to learn should be around for years to come. This is important if you don’t want to waste your time with a language that won’t make any difference in the near future.
- Something great about Python that I told you is how easy it is to learn its syntax and usage. The language itself is very similar to the English language, thus making it a good choice for new users. The PEP8 rule set is also a big help to get to know your way around Python even quicker.
- The next thing was to list some of the projects you can get done using Python (for pretty much any project, basically).
- After that, I gave you more reasons why so many people and even companies choose to go with Python as their main language to power their systems.
If you consider all the above-mentioned things that Python can do for you, I think you’ll find that it can easily be a good choice to kick off your developer career.
So, should you choose Python over other languages? Of course, you definitely should. Just kick this off by starting to learn the language itself.
