Python is one of the languages that is witnessing incredible growth and popularity year by year. In 2019, Stackoverflow calculated that python would beat all other programming languages by 2022 as it has become the fastest-growing programming language in the world. It is also considered one of the best programming languages for machine learning.
So why is Python so popular? Let's find out:
Let's look at the points more closely.
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Easy to Learn and Use
Python language is incredibly easy to use and learn for beginners. Because of its simplified syntax and natural language-like flow, it is one of the most accessible programming languages. Python codes can be written and executed much faster than other programming languages.
When Guido van Rossum was creating python in the 1980s, he made sure to design it to be a general-purpose language. One can quickly experiment by changing the code base of python because it is an interpreted language which makes it even more popular among all kinds of developers. -
Mature and Supportive Python Community
Python was created more than 30 years ago, which is a lot of time for any community of programming languages to grow and mature adequately to support developers ranging from beginner to expert levels. There are plenty of documentation, guides and video tutorials for Python that learners and developers of any skill level or ages can use to enhance their knowledge.
Many students get introduced to computer science only through Python language, which is the same language used for in-depth research projects.
The python developer community is one of the most incredibly active programming language communities. -
Compatible with Major Platforms and Systems
At present, Python supports many operating systems. You can even use Python interpreters to run the code on specific platforms and tools. Also, Python is an interpreted programming language. It allows you to run the same code on multiple platforms without recompilation. You can run the modified application code without recompiling and check the impact of changes made to the code immediately. The feature makes it easier for you to make changes to the code without increasing development time.
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Robust Standard Library
Its large and robust standard library makes Python score over other programming languages. The standard library allows you to choose from a wide range of modules according to your precise needs. Each module further enables you to add functionality to the Python application without writing additional code. For instance, while writing a web application in Python, you can use specific modules to implement web services, perform string operations, manage operating system interface or work with internet protocols. You can even gather information about various modules by browsing through the Python Standard Library documentation.
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Many Open Source Frameworks and Tools
As an open source programming language, Python helps you to curtail software development cost significantly. You can even use several open source Python frameworks, libraries and development tools specific to your need to reduce development time without increasing development cost. For instance, you can simplify and speedup web application development by using robust Python web frameworks like Django, Flask, Pyramid, Bottle and Cherrypy. Likewise, you can accelerate desktop GUI application development using Python GUI frameworks and toolkits like PyQT, PyJs, PyGUI, Kivy, PyGTK and WxPython.
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Simplify Complex Software Development
Python is a general purpose programming language. Hence, you can use the programming language for developing both desktop and web applications. Also, you can use Python for developing complex scientific and numeric applications. Python is designed with features to facilitate data analysis and visualization. You can take advantage of the data analysis features of Python to create custom big data solutions without putting extra time and effort. At the same time, the data visualization libraries and APIs provided by Python help you to visualize and present data in a more appealing and effective way. Many Python developers even use Python to accomplish artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tasks.
Now that you know why Python is important and cool, let's find out some awesome Python Resources.
| Resources | Features |
|---|---|
| Kaggle | 1. Code available in Notebook format. 2. Simple examples and explanations which are easy to follow. 3. Step by step run down through Python fundamentals. 4. May seem too simple for someone with a little experience. |
| The Python Tutorial | 1. Extremely detailed. 2. Ultimate reference for all of Python 2. 3. Good for developing programming skills as well. 4. May seem too daunting for beginners. Also, the codes are in Python 2 which is similar to Python 3. |
| Think Python: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist | 1. Extremely precise and of high quality. 2. Programming and Python concepts are explained. Debugging advice is also given. 3. Simple to read and understand with exercises to practise. |
| Lecture Slides on Python | 1. Covers Python from basic. 2. Taught through many examples. 2. Very short (90 pages of slides) but covers all necessary concepts. 3. Based on Python 2. |
| Codeacademy | 1. Well-structured course to learn Python. 2. Quizzes and coding projects alongside study materials. 3. Course duration is 25 hours, which is pretty short. |
| Python Cheatsheet in 26 Pages | 1. Ultimate compact Python guide. 2. Great for quick reference while learning Python and trying out code. |
--- by Shashwat Saxena and Nirjhar Das