Ever since its intervention, python has continued to gain incomparable fame as one of the most loved programming languages among developers.
It’s been a massive hit from day one. Years after years, it rose in prominence amidst the tech community, making most of the major software development initiatives rely on it. Python does have its pros and cons but here’s an honest question, Would Python be able to sustain its popularity in the coming years?
According to StackOverflow’s survey, Python is ranked as the second most liked and rapidly growing programming language, following Rust.
What Makes Python A Healthy Demand Language?
Aside from all the pros and cons, Python has a quite healthy demand from the perspective of the job market and the current digital era. There are tons of recruiters on the watchlist of talented Python developers. And what’s even better is that Python, instead of being so highly in demand, is pretty easy to grasp and developers still are on a hunt to learn it. It has a straightforward processing system and does not involve any major setback therefore, it continues to win hearts amongst the software development community.
Right now, python ought to be the world’s most admirable programming language. Its promising features along with the flexibility it offers have made it get this status. But like every other language, python does have its pros and cons.
Python Through the Years:
Python’s origin narrative starts in the late 1980s. Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in Amsterdam developed it so that even those without a solid background in data science can learn the basics of computer programming in no time.
Now, Python has been in business for over 30 years and that’s huge! Although web development and data science make up the bulk of Python’s usage, its adaptability ensures its popularity across other disciplines as well.
Python developers are working for most of the prominent corporations in the world for a variety of purposes. For example, its systems are powered by Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Spotify, Instagram, and Uber.
Python Pros As A Programming Language
It’s not just a notion but a reality that Python does have plenty of goods. That’s why it is considered to be the top choice of the majority of developers. A few of the reasons why Python is so adored among the developer community are the following:
✅Easy language for starters
Most of the developers opt for Python because compared to the norm, it’s easy. Probably, Python is probably one of the most popular languages and the main reason for its popularity is because it’s too adaptable and somewhat easy to learn.
Anyone with a bit of a background in CS(Computer Science) can grasp the basics of Python in two to three weeks. But the learning might vary from Python developer to developer, so that’s just a rough idea. Therefore, due to the relatively straightforward frameworks and smooth understanding, Python falls under the category of one of the easiest languages to learn.
✅Vast community
Due to its welcoming nature, python has a healthy demand amongst the coding fraternity. This active community of developers makes Python highly in demand but the ease still is the biggest reason for a vast network of devs opting for it.
At large, the contributions of Python Programming language to open-source projects are much appreciated. The Python community has developed and maintains a large number of open-source libraries and frameworks.
In order to learn a new language, it is important to know how well-maintained a community is. Also, it’s necessary to note that if the language has a strong demand or not.
✅Versatility
Python is a programming language that has versatility at its peak. The large collection of modules and packages that Python highly adds to its versatility.
Developers are able to save time and hassle by integrating pre-written code from these libraries into their projects. Python has many more uses outside of web development and data analysis. It is also useful for scientific computing, machine learning, and data analysis. However, python is a pretty powerful language with versatility as a bonus point of its features.
Seldom there are things that only have goods but not any bad. After all, there are always two sides of a coin. Henceforth, the same is the case of Python Programming language. It does have its pros and cons. We discussed some major pros now let’s get to the nitty-gritty of the highlighted flaws:
Python Cons As A Programming Language
Python has numerous benefits, but developers should be mindful of its downsides as well. Following are some of the cons that all Python language developers must be aware of:
✅Not as fast as other languages
One of the most notable cons of Python is certainly its speed, which is quite slower than the others. Python’s pace compared to compiled languages like C++ or Java is a major drawback that never goes unseen.
The slowness probably is due to the fact that the Python interpreter runs each line of code independently, as the language is an interpreted one. On the other hand, other compiled languages are faster since they are turned into machine code before execution.
✅Prone to less security
Other favorite programming languages, such as Java or C++, are thought to be more secure than Python. Furthermore, hackers frequently target Python due to its popularity and simplicity of use to attack code flaws. Another potential security concern associated with Python is the abundance of third-party libraries and modules that can be downloaded and used without conducting adequate vulnerability scans.
✅Poor memory management
Additional possible advantages of using Python for real-time operations include memory consumption and garbage collection. Python might use higher memory as compared to the other compiled languages like C++. It majorly happens due to its dynamic nature and interpreted execution. Particularly in situations where resources are limited, like embedded systems or mobile devices, this issue is prone to cause trouble.
In addition, performance and unexpected behavior might arise from Python’s garbage collection mechanism. When a program is no longer in use, garbage collection will automatically remove any unused memory from the system. This makes memory management easier for developers, but if the garbage collector runs too often or inefficiently, it might cause performance concerns. However, memory leaks and other issues may also occur if Python’s garbage collector does not release memory fast enough or efficiently enough.
To Conclude
The easy learning curve, good readability, and a huge developer network are just a few of Python’s many pros. As a popular and fastest programming language, Python has continued to gain unshakable fame. Nevertheless, there are a few drawbacks to consider as well. These cons include reduced speed in contrast to other compiled languages, problems with memory management, dynamic typing, and incompatibility with older versions.
Considering all the pros and cons of Python, it is a very flexible language with many potential uses, including but not limited to data analysis, machine learning, and web development.