Written by Harsiman Kaloti
Overview
Various programming languages are used by millions of people each day for different purposes. Whether it be Javascript to make web pages interactive or HTML to structure web pages, one that stands out from them all is Python. As said by Paul F. Dubois, “Python is the most powerful language you can still read,” but what is Python anyways?
Python is an interpreted, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics, which are meanings of sentences which are functions who alter the context. Python’s simple to learn rules greatly emphasize easy readability, resulting in the costs for program maintenance being greatly reduced, as it is also used as a ‘glue language’ to connect existing components of code together. It is mostly used for data analysis, building softwares and websites, and doing automated tasks.
Example of the code; Credit to: Khuyen Tran
But why choose Python when there are so many other programming languages out there? Well besides it being one of the most powerful languages as stated by Dubois, some other reasons include….
It’s simple syntax (rules)
Python has a very simple syntax, being one of the main reasons why it’s ideal for beginners dabbing into the tech field. Compared to other languages like C++ and Java, Python’s simplest syntax includes using very few lines of code to accomplish a certain task. Its syntax follows the simple principle that “There should be one— and preferably only one —obvious way to do it.”
You also do not need a compiler, a special program that translates the source code into machine code or another type of programming language, to write and run Python therefore making it much easier to use. Though its syntax is pretty simple, another reason is because….
It increases productivity!
Since Python has a very simple and easy syntax, it makes programmers like it quite a bit, resulting in them noticing how it increases their productivity due to what Python provides. Python allows you to automate processes, perform specific tasks, and integrate different software applications, allowing a variety of tasks to be accomplished by one language.
Debugging Python is easy as a bug or bad input will never cause a drastic fault to the whole of the code. When an error is discovered, it raises an exception to be fixed, allowing errors to be fixed much sooner. As it allows us to complete tasks in a shorter time frame, another reason is….
It has a large community
Due to its popularity and growth, Python has a large community that acts as a resource to help other programmers when problems appear. If you were to run into a problem, finding a solution is pretty easy as there are tutorials, videos, tips, and many more resources to help you as others may have encountered the same problem as you before. This community also has an extensive network of support systems which are intertwined to help everyone out when needed. Even the best developers can run into issues, therefore the community is built upon the principle of always being there for others in need.
Though these are just a few reasons why Python holds a great purpose in the programming community, there are still many more things to be learnt about it. So, let’s all come together and use Python to code our way into a better and more sustainable future.
Sources
Chillar Anand. “14 Greatest Quotes About Python Programming Language”; December 30, 2015
Philpapers. “Dynamic Semantics”; n.d.
Khuyen Tran. “3 Tools to Track and Visualize the Execution of your Python Code”; April 28, 2021
Python. “What is Python? Executive Summary”; n.d.
https://www.python.org/doc/essays/blurb/
Hillary Nyakundi. “Why Python is Good for Beginners – and How to Start Learning It”; March 1, 2023
Zebra bi. “How to Improve Employee Productivity Using Python (plotly)”; August 20, 2023
Coursera Staff. “What Is Python Used For? A Beginner’s Guide”; November 20, 2023
https://www.coursera.org/articles/what-is-python-used-for-a-beginners-guide-to-using-python
Qamar Mehtab. “Why Python is becoming the most popular language for Web Development?”; June 6, 2023
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-python-becoming-most-popular-language-web-qamar-mehtab/
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