At over 8 million developers and counting, Python is the most popular programming language on the planet, according to FutureLearn. The language has been experiencing rapid growth since 2018, and 2020 onwards only saw its usage growing even more. With a low barrier to entry and astonishing capabilities, it’s easy to see why this is the case. Python can accomplish great things, such as the flagship services of big tech companies like Google and Meta. But it’s also capable of truly terrible acts, such as ruthless ransomware attacks that can even penetrate virtual machines. When you see how formidable a tool Python is, it becomes a wonder why there aren’t more people using it.
Simple to Learn and Use
The primary reason why people prefer Python over all other languages is because of its simplicity. One of the most notable examples is when printing the string “Hello World.” In Python, this only entails a single line. Simply type “print(‘Hello, world!’)” and the program will display the text for you. In other languages, you would have to write a complete method, function, or other standard code block in order to perform the same task. This isn’t difficult even for beginners, but it does take up much more time than coding it in Python would need. Python’s syntax is much more succinct, with many saying that it feels as close to regular human speech as any scripting language can be.
Easy to Maintain Code
Python’s simplicity lends itself to incredible ease of maintenance. It’s highly readable even for amateur coders, which means that programmers from a wide range of skill levels can be tasked to handle the maintenance of certain parts of a software. Arrays are a perfect exemplar of how easy it is to update a Python codebase. A python array is completely dynamic, meaning that you can just add new items and different types of objects, and it would just accommodate your additions seamlessly. Arrays in other languages, on the other hand, require the programmer to define the types of objects and number of items beforehand. Thus, updating it requires you to tweak these definitions, which makes it more likely for programmers to trip up and forget to do so. Mistakes like these introduce inefficiency.
Unparalleled Flexibility and Versatility
There’s a reason why so many big-name apps like Skype, YouTube, and Google all use Python as their official scripting language. Python is capable of doing many things competently. Paired with its ease of use, this makes it a very powerful language fit for a vast array of applications. Across all platforms, it can integrate seamlessly with all kinds of IT infrastructure, with virtually the same level of performance. Its support for several other programming paradigms, such as object-oriented and procedural programming, enables it to be used to develop many different types of software. The universal utility of Python makes it the prime candidate for burgeoning technologies such as machine learning and big data, ensuring a bright future for the language and programmers who specialize in it.
Since its inception in the 80s by Guido van Rossum, Python has been built upon the principles of simplicity, adaptability, and extensive capabilities. It’s had nearly 40 years of development around these core pillars, and it certainly shows the fruits of van Rossum’s vision.
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.