“Python is the new Java!”

I read it once and this sentence was particularly stuck in my memory (especially that at that time I didn’t know what the author meant by 😉). Why Java? Why not a new C++, or a new PHP scripting and interpretation?

I hurry to explain – Java is considered universal, good for learning and “works on all platforms“.

It can be used to create desktop applications, mobile applications, games, web applications or to program household appliances. It was supposed to be good for everyone and for everything.

And yet, Python is a much better candidate for the first programming language.

Why Python?

Learn about 10 reasons to learn Python

1. Python is simple!

Easy to learn, it has a simple, almost intuitive syntax (the simplest way to write commands understood by the computer using a given programming language).

The syntax resembles elements from “real life”. Keywords are therefore understandable to any beginner, and at the same time very close to those found in other programming languages (so the later changing) is easier).

When we mention the list of things to do, we often do it with a colon and indentations, just like we do with Python’s commands in blocks of code. By the way, it forces us to learn good habits of making indentations in the code, so that the code in Python is nice, clear and readable.

2. Python is fast.

And no, I don’t take speed as a subject of comparing Python to other programming languages, soon there will be groans that they are faster. It is fast against the background of interpreted languages, but it is not important for a beginner.

It is fast in learning and available at once.

You install Python and you can sit down to write your code right away. You start the console, type the python and you are welcomed by the prompt (>>>>) “type something, try me out!”. No reading about program selection, environment, compiler versions.

You don’t want to install Python, but try your hand at console? There you go: Python shell online or repl.it.

3. Python is efficient

Working with Big Data (both in collecting, analyzing, processing and using data) is the future. The more data you need to process, the more important it becomes to manage the resources used and the efficiency of the code.

Python provides generators as both expressions and functions. Generators allow for iterative data processing, element by element. It sounds unattractive until you notice that “normal” iterative data processing requires a list. A list takes up memory. A really big list takes up a lot of memory. Generators allow you to retrieve data from the source one item at a time and pass it through the entire processing chain, bypassing the iterative list storage mechanism.

4. Professional skills

There are many languages for educational purposes such as Scratch and Logo. Certainly, they can be used to learn programming logic, some of them go to schools and this is a good trend. Unfortunately, no matter how advanced things you create with their help, nobody will take this skill seriously (unless you are a teacher and you want to introduce programming in your classroom at 😉).

Therefore, reach for Python! It is easy to bite it and immediately have a specific professional skill – programming.

However, you do not want to develop in Python? No problem, you will easily “go down” to C, jump to Ruby (the syntax is very similar) or go straight to the front page in the arms of JavaScript.

Integrating Python with other languages? No problem.

Additional solutions? There are many options for this.

Jython or Python implemented in Java – it works everywhere Java works. IronPython, Python implemented in .Net.

5. Earnings

Let’s talk about money. We’re not at an interview, so let’s not beat about the bush – the main reason for the change in the industry is to earn more, and the amounts that fall in IT are impressive.

Python is currently the second best paid language in the USA. We look at the average annual earnings, again at the fact that it is a language that is easy to learn and the matter is starting to clarify.

6. There will be plenty of work

Since it was about money, it is worth to pay attention to all the possibilities offered by Python at work. Actually, you can write in it everything you dream of and at the same time in every field you will find a job offer for yourself. Every year the demand for Python specialists is growing. This year Python programmers are in the top 3 most in demand.

7. Possibilities

I said you could use it for anything, so it’s time for examples.

Arduino or Raspberry Pi – on both of them you can program in Python, a lot of fun, a lot of possibilities. DIY projects are easily accessible on youtube and give you a lot of satisfaction.

– on both of them you can program in Python, a lot of fun, a lot of possibilities. DIY projects are easily accessible on youtube and give you a lot of satisfaction. Cybersecurity – ethical hacking, penetration testing, security system analysis and software development are the tasks you can perform with Python as a security specialist.

– ethical hacking, penetration testing, security system analysis and software development are the tasks you can perform with Python as a security specialist. IoT – also known as Internet of Things, smart homes. Actually, why not get yourself some gadgets at home or work professionally?Marketing – extracting and analyzing information about users from own data or using Facebook API, Google, Twitter, better targeting of advertisements.

– also known as Internet of Things, smart homes. Actually, why not get yourself some gadgets at home or work professionally?Marketing – extracting and analyzing information about users from own data or using Facebook API, Google, Twitter, better targeting of advertisements. Science – processing data both at the mathematical and statistical level, extracting informative parts from results of laboratory experiments, from genomics, chemistry, geoinformation, etc.

– processing data both at the mathematical and statistical level, extracting informative parts from results of laboratory experiments, from genomics, chemistry, geoinformation, etc. QA – software testing, automatic tests, debugging, wherever you can write a code from laziness, which does tests for a tester

– software testing, automatic tests, debugging, wherever you can write a code from laziness, which does tests for a tester Statistics – Python is one of the most frequently required languages for Data Scientist positions.

– Python is one of the most frequently required languages for Data Scientist positions. Machine Learn and AI – topics closely related to the processing of huge amounts of data, supposedly Python is the future of Machine Learning

– topics closely related to the processing of huge amounts of data, supposedly Python is the future of Machine Learning Web development – backend more efficient than popular PHP and faster working frameworks such as Django or Flask

A lot of other things that just come to mind. Even in the gaming industry, which is not necessarily associated with Python at first glance, there will be an appropriate position (gameplay programmer).

8. Python is Powerful

Simple, which means there’s not much more you can do with it. Not under any circumstances!

Python has different uses. “Python has a power”, which is why companies such as Google, Dropbox, Spotify or Netflix use it in their applications.

Dropbox

Dropbox is written entirely in Python, which makes it compatible with any operating system. It has about 400 million users and for many of them it is one of the first applications to be installed on a computer. Not only the desktop application but also the Dropbox server-side code is in Python.

Google

Google uses a vast array of technologies, including C++, Python, and now also the Go language. Apparently, Google said “Python, where we can. C + + +, where we have to.

Spotify and Netfilx

Like Google, Spotify and Netflix use different languages.

Spotify uses mostly Java, but uses Python to make things like their Web API. Spotify also uses Python to analyze data, not necessarily related only to users (DNS server recovery system, payment system and content management system).

Netflix uses a mixture of Java, Scala and Python, while giving developers the autonomy to choose the language that best suits the problem. Where to look for Python? In the analysis group and to handle events in real time.

Where else is Python used?

Facebook, Instagram, Yahoo, Quora, Pinterest, Disqus.

9. Extensions

Python teaches object oriented programming style (it is not an option, everything is an object here). This in turn allows for faster and easier creation of multi-module applications, and thus also the sharing of code in the project team.

Creating your own modules from any code is “super simple”. In another file we download our module by “import module” and the end, ready.

What is more, we have at our disposal a lot of ready-made modules and libraries that speed up code writing, e.g. creating GUI (PySide, PyQt, PyGTK), mathematical calculations (NumPy, SciPy, mathplotlib), building web applications (Django, Flask), creating games (PyGame) and so on;

10. Resources and community

In Python you can easily find a lot of learning materials, although mainly in English. The documentation of the language is rich and very clearly written. When it comes to books, they do not become outdated as quickly as web technologies (although I carefully recommend books, they are more for topics in narrow fields, where finding complete information on the Internet is simply difficult).

For beginners, support is important. Python has an active community: numerous events, Facebook groups.

Summary

These are my 10 reasons why it is worth learning Python and certainly there would be more. If I managed to convince you to Python, I invite you to continue.

If you liked the post, forgot something about something or you have another reason why it is worth learning Python leave a comment after yourself

Read also:

Junior Python Developer – what does he/she have to know?

The best languages programming to learn in 2020

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

