Python programming language is perhaps one of the most popular. Used in web development, data science, automation systems, and applications – the scope of its application is truly limitless. But the main advantage of Python is its low entry threshold. In other words, almost anyone can learn to program in this language.
Python – what it is?
Python is a scripting programming language. It is universal, therefore it is suitable for solving various tasks and for many platforms: from iOS and Android to server operating systems.
Python has a simple and clear syntax. Even a person far from programming will find it easy to understand the lines of a simple code. What other advantages this language has, why the whole world chooses it, and how and where it is better to learn, you will learn from our material.
A Brief History
Python is one of the most popular programming languages today. It’s no wonder so many novice coders are wondering if this programing language is hard to learn and if it even makes sense.
Python is a general-purpose high-level programming language. The scope of its application is very wide. Also actively used in the development of applications and websites. This interpreted object-oriented language is open source and has dynamic semantics. Python itself – created using the C language.
In 1989, Guido Van Rossum created a new programming language called Python and released it in 1991. The main goal that the author set for himself is to simplify the programming process. To make it easier to write code, it must become more readable and understandable for humans. Python is open source. One of the advantages of this language is the ability to run programs on it both on Windows and on macOS and Linux.
Code written in this programing language is really easy to read and understand its structural elements. This makes the programming language suitable for beginners. But its capabilities are not limited to the basic ones: the most complex web platforms and highly loaded applications are written and effectively supported in it.
How and where Python is used
It is an interpreted language, not a compiled language like C++ or Java. A Python program is a plain text file. You can write code in almost any editor or use special IDEs:
- PyCharm is a powerful development environment from JetBrains.
- Spyder – an IDE optimized for Data Science. Comes with Anaconda.
- IDLE – the standard text editor included in the language.
- SublimeText is a text editor with many plugins.
- Visual Studio Code is a popular text editor from Microsoft.
Python you can found almost everywhere: on the web, mobile, and desktop applications, as well as in games. Neural networks are written on it, scientific research is carried out and programs are tested. Let’s talk in more detail about the main areas of its application.
Which Companies Use Python
Python is mainly used by startups and companies that develop large projects. Here is just a part of the huge list of its users – large organizations:
- Google – uses the language as a component of the search engine.
- Dropbox – uses it to optimize the back-end and front-end.
- Spotify – Uses Python for data analytics.
- Instagram*, and Facebook* are used on the server side.
- BitTorrent – the company built a peer-to-peer network on this programing laguage.
- US National Security Agency – encrypts and analyzes intelligence data.
- Esri – uses Python as a configuration tool for geospatial programs.
- Pixar, Industrial Light & Magic – create animated films in Python.
- Intel, Cisco, HP, Seagate, Qualcomm, and IBM test and analyze the market with Python.
- NASA, Los Alamos, Fermilab, and JPL – use the language in scientific computing.
In addition, Python is used in Positive Technologies, Houdini, Yahoo, Red Hat, Pinterest, Quora, VK, and Yandex. In short, almost every company has Python.
Benefits
The main advantage of Python is its simplicity. No need to spend months learning complicated syntax like in C++ and worry about memory leaks. The language will do everything for you.
Other advantages of Python:
- It is an interpreted language. Before running, a Python program is a plain text file that can be run on any platform where the interpreter is installed.
- It is great for beginners. Python is well-designed and logical. You don’t even need to know English to study it. Due to its simplicity, development is much faster because the programmer writes less code.
- The language has a powerful community. The user community is so large that if you run into an obscure bug, you’re likely to quickly find a solution on the internet. After all, before you, someone has already encountered a similar one and posted a solution on Stack Overflow.
Drawbacks
And now let’s move on to the “fly in the ointment”:
- Python programs are among the slowest. iOS apps run 8.7 times faster in Swift than in Python. The PyPy implementation is close to Java in speed, but it does not have all the features of the original language. It is not suitable for tasks that require a large amount of memory – they are better solved by inserts in C or C ++.
- Strong dependence of the language on system libraries. This makes porting applications to other systems difficult. To solve the problem, they came up with Virtualenv, but it also has drawbacks: redundancy of full isolation methods, crutches, duplication of system libraries.
- Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) does not allow multiple threads to execute at the same time in the CPython implementation. However, the GIL can be temporarily disabled, as is done in the NumPy package.
- Dynamic typing. “Blimey! you say. “Isn’t dynamic typing cool?” On the one hand, yes, but it is because of it that errors are displayed at runtime (runtime), and not compilation (compile time).
Conclusion
The Python programming language is becoming more and more popular every year. It is great for many areas of development: from the web to testing and data analysis.
Python programs are flexible, scalable, and don’t require a large development team to build. The language has a simple and clear syntax and a powerful community that develops and popularizes it.