What is Python Programming Language?

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What Is Python?

Python is an interpreted programming language for the general purpose used for many different purposes from automating small tasks to testing microchips, powering Instagram and building video games. It is a straight-forward language which makes it easy to use and to learn. Built-in data structures, dynamic typing, and binding make Python a good option for Rapid Application Development, glue language, and scripting. Python supports code reuse and modularity through modules and packages. Python provides increased productivity with fast edit-test-debug cycle and no compilation step. It emphasizes code readability and clear programming on all scales, therefore, reducing the costs of program maintenance.

What is Python Used For?

Python is one of the most powerful yet at the same time simple programming languages. The most popular uses for Python include: 

  • backend web or desktop applications
  • scientific and mathematical computing
  • data analysis
  • deep machine learning
  • scripting language for many web applications

Python is a very high-performance language and is one of the top 5 programming languages worldwide, so if this is what you are looking for then Python is your best bet.

Plenty of organizations today use Python however you will not necessarily hear companies announcing it publicly for preserving the organizational secrets. Python is used by Wikipedia, Google, NASA, 

With its beginner friendliness and scalability, whether you are looking to learn a new programming language or for the best language for your new project or organization, Python should definitely be considered.

Why Learn Python Programming Language?

Python is one of the languages that was created to be easy to understand which means that Python can be a fairly beginner-friendly language. Moreover, Python allows you to easily build tools and prototypes, with strict punctuation tools, allowing you to avoid all the braces in your code.

Python programming language features PEP 8 - a set of rules that let the developer know how to format the code. Having these rules means that no matter who writes the code - a professional or a beginner, the code will always be easy to read. This readability facilitates the open source development, as others can easily read and maintain your program.

Is It Difficult To Learn Python?

Python has established itself as one of the beginner-friendly programming languages in the universities, beating Java

Although Python is a very high-level language, it resembles the English language, with words like ‘not’ and ‘in’, which takes a lot of syntax learning burden off the beginner coders. If you are new to coding, Python will allow you to concentrate on learning the concepts without having to learn too many details. Python has well-designed built-ins, library and availability of third-party modules and libraries. However this flexibility and dynamic typing is also a source of its disadvantages which will be discussed later in the article.

Moreover, Python is a fairly flexible language without the hard rules on building different features, which means that it allows you to run the program until you hit the area with the errors.

If you are thinking about learning Python, here are couple of Python courses that would be a great place to start:

Automate the Boring Stuff with Python

Learn how to write the automation programs in minutes using Python. It requires no previous programming experience. You will get easy-to-follow instructions and practice projects.

DataCamp Intro to Python

Learn all the basics of Python and get started with DataCamp’s interactive tutorial for beginners focusing on DataScience.

Disadvantages of Python Programming Language

Now that all the great things about Python were covered, what are the cons of Python? Although Python features plenty of great functions and provides a lot useful opportunities, there is a downside as well.

With Python being a dynamically typed and interpreted language, more complex and bigger apps may require more experience to track and fix the errors. The good thing is, the more experience you get with Python, the easier it will get for you to write code and design units in such a way that makes it easier to maintain.

Another con of Python also comes as a one of the consequences of Python being a dynamic language. With Python being so flexible, the machine has to do a lot of referencing checks which in turn slows it down. There are alternatives like PyPy. It is not as fast as Java for instance, but still improves the speed and performance.

Although Python is popular for many server and desktop platforms, it lacks when it comes to mobile apps and client side of Web applications.

Another issue that spawns from dynamic typing of the language is that some errors can only be identified during the actual runtime. Therefore Python requires a lot more testing than other programming languages.

Find out more about Python-based CMS

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