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What is Python?

What is Python?

November 16th, 2018

What is Python?

Python is a high-level programming language taken with active semantics and many are using this object-oriented language for various general purposes. You can see used for different app and web development. In the year 1991, primarily Guido van Rossum designed Python and later Python Software Foundation developed it. The programmers are permitted to express their code in very few lines through Python’s code readability, and its syntax.

Using Python, users can work rapidly and effectively integrate systems. Rapid Application Development is possible just because of its built-in data structures, along with dynamic binding and typing. The packages and modules of Python encourage the modularity of the program and reuse of code. Python is a top-most beginner-friendly language, with the syntax using English keywords which is easy for the users to understand and start the project effortlessly.

General Application Programming with Python- Released in 1991, since the time Python is taken as the gap-filler and one of the most amazing solutions for writing scripts and automating the boring stuff with rapid prototype development that can be implemented in multiple languages later. During the last few years, Python emerged as the first-class development solution in the modern IT marketplace. This is no more a traditional utility language only but taken as the major force for web development and systems management. The language is a key driver in big data analytics and machine intelligence.

Python is an extremely versatile programming language that can be used for a variety of applications like the development of software, scripting, and calculations. It is considered to be the best programming language for beginners because of its ease and simplicity, and also because of its enormous potential.

Read: Python 2 Vs Python 3

What is Python? | History of Python | Scope of Python | Python Installation

If you are wondering what all can you do with Python, brace yourselves. You can use Python on any server to develop several web applications. It can be aligned along with software for creation of workflows. Python is also great for performing complex mathematical calculations as well as for handling huge data files. It has the power to connect to various databases and for prototyping. In short, it is among the most versatile programming languages that you can easily learn and master.

Why use Python?

Based on the requirement of the user or business, usage of Python varies, and we can see many reasons why to choose Python.

Python in Start-ups:

Most of the start-up companies expect to build their products, websites, software programs, and mobile apps with a limited budget and within a duration. In such scenarios, Python plays a major role. As Python is able to deliver the product by fulfilling both of these criteria, Python is opted by most of the start-up companies.

Versatility:

Python programming is used to build various parts of technical stacks in most of the heavy tech hitters like Instagram, Google, and Facebook. Apart from this, you can use Python code to construct fundamental programs such as dice rollers and virtual magic 8-balls. Versatility in Python refers to the wide range of work possibilities available for the developers. Building small size programs, to work for a tech giant, or be a part of the full-stack web development team, Python programming is a helpful skill providing you various options.

Add-ons Availability:

We cannot see any shortage of frameworks and libraries in Python. For more customization, while building an app or website using Python, similar to other languages, you can acquire the add-ons as per the need of the code. Django, PyQt are some of the popular Python frameworks permitting to construct GUI (Graphic User Interfaces).

Python Basics for Free:

You can get a free Python tutorial which is free of cost hosted by Python Software Foundation on their website. Beginners can use this free tutorial extensively which includes the training material especially for the users who are not into the programming field and experience. For more Python free courses, visit websites like python-guide.org and org.

Read: Pandas in Python

Python Jobs:

More than 60,000 Python jobs can be seen posted on indeed.com. Python programming is useful in various methods and a list of Python jobs is availably suitable for any level of experienced people. Beginner level Software Engineer, Quality Assurance Engineer roles, and many more are available in the market for the Python Developers.

Working of Frond-end and Back-end:

If learning Python, you can also be a front-end web developer and back-end web developer, combined with various web servers and databases that enhanced the apps and websites. You can use Python to script both front-end and back end to enable the digital product to work in synchronization. Both front-end and back-end of your project are expected to work better, of course great, if using Python to construct.
Great Salary with Python: As per the roles in Python, salary differs for each. Below are the approximate salaries provided for Python-related job roles.

  1. $140,000 for Machine Learning Engineer
  2. $80,000 for Junior Python Developer
  3. $51,000 for Beginner level Software Developer
  4. $115,000 for Senior Python Developer
  5. $60,000 for Quality Assurance Engineer

Must Read: Python Code Editors

Automated Process through Python:

All the technical people are facing one or the other difficulties while handling laborious, monotonous, and core technical tasks. Moving the folders from one location to the other, copying and modifying files with minor changes, renaming the files, can be some of the boring tasks in the long run. Learning Python enables you to automate all kinds of boring tasks by writing simple Python programs

Notable Features of Python

Below are some of the significant features of Python:

Extremely Portable:

While running Python on Windows and for any reason, planning to shift the same to a Unix, Linux or Mac system, without changing the code, simply you can shift in Python. Hence, for this reason, Python is one of the chief portable languages which is not quite easy in other programming languages.

Object-Oriented Language:

Python is an object-oriented language and hence, it is clear that Python identifies the notion of object and class encapsulation which permits the programs to be competent for the long term.

Easy to learn:

Python has got much popularity because of various reasons like simple structures, fewer keywords, and evidently well-defined syntax. One of the most crucial features of Python is the codes are effortlessly understandable and logical. In just a few hours, people can learn most of the important Python syntax. You can work with outstanding, and upfront tools while writing the python code, particularly the Interactive Interpreter. Special text editor, learning a build system, and IDE is not expected to work with Python. An interactive editor and a command prompt are enough to proceed with Python scripting.

Extensive Libraries:

A huge standard library is available in Python and it contains built-in modules that offer access to system functionality like I/O and consistent solutions are provided for various issues that appear in unremarkable programming. Documentation Generation, Regular expressions, threading, unit testing, and databases are the different tasks that can be performed.

Free of cost and Open-source:

As Python is free of cost technology, you can use it any time by downloading from Python Website. Moreover, Python is open-source, which means the source code is openly available for the public. You can simply download, make modifications, implement in their project or business and distribute it. This process is known as FLOSS- Free/Libre and Open Source Software.

Interpreter:

The compilation is not required in Python which is done in other languages like Java and C++. The source code in Python is internally converted to an instant form known as “Bytecode”. So, not to worry about linking to libraries and a few other additional tasks, whereas you can simply run the Python code.

GUI Programming:

Only after getting a proper GUI, we cannot assume a software user-friendly. GUI is the only interaction between the application and the user. To create a graphical user interface for your application, various libraries can be used available in Python. JPython, Tkinter, and wxPython are some of the toolkits for easy and quick GUI development.

Advanced Typed:

The value type is decided at runtime and not in advance, hence Python is said to be dynamically-typed. So, it is not required to mention the data type at the time of declaration.

Read this Blog: Python Online Compiler

Why is Python so attractive?

The following features make Python extremely attractive:

  • The relative simplicity and ease of use of Python, compared to other programming languages makes it an obvious first choice. The syntax of Python has a high degree of similarity to the English language, and is thus, quite easy to understand.
  • Python is compatible with all major platforms like Linux, Mac, and Windows.
  • Python allows different teams to work in synchronization without major barriers of language and/ or experience.
  • There is a great range of packages and modules that Python can support. Thus, programs that are designed as codes and modules may be used and reused over a range of applications.
  • Python works on codes that can be executed as soon as they are written. In addition, the standard library, as well as the interpreter, are available for free, and there is no exclusivity because of the availability of important tools.
  • Debugging programs made in Python is very easy and a bad input rarely causes any fault in segmentation. The debugger is integrated within Python.
  • The support base of Python is huge and there are regular updates and new features that are made available.

Because of the features and benefits mentioned above, Python has emerged as the most lucrative programming language. However, there are a few downsides that you should be aware of.

Click Here: Learn Advanced Python

How do we use Python?

Below are the initial steps to use Python while building an app or GUI.

Python Installation:

Use the Python website to download the Windows Python interpreter and ensure to download the accurate version which is suitable for Operating System. You need not change any settings.

Install Text Editor:

To easily read and write the code, make use of TextEdit or Notepad to create Python programs. JEdit, Notepad++ and TextWrangler are some of the special text editors suitable for different operating systems.

Installation Test:

On completing the above two steps, open the command prompt and type ‘python’. You will get the version number and directed to the Python interpreter command prompt.

Advantages of Python

Till the time we have learned what is Python but the discussion is incomplete without focusing on the key advantages of the programming language.
key advantages of python

Python can be learned quickly

Most of the features of the Python programming language can be learned with little investment of time and effort. It takes only a few minutes in writing your first Python program. Also, the syntax of the programming language is relatively easy to read and understand. The simplicity of the language is the major reason why it is so popular among tech-savvy and newcomers as well. So, developers could spend their valuable time solving tough problems instead of thinking about the language complexities.

Click Here: To Know how to install Python 3.7 on Ubuntu

Python can be adopted broadly

Python is not only popular but it is used broadly based on surveys conducted by the GitHub. Python could run on almost all operating systems either it is major or minor. Even plenty of libraries and APIs have Python wrappers or bindings, letting Python interface to integrate freely with those APIs and libraries. The only disadvantage of the programming language is its speed. Python is not the fastest programming language still it is versatile and adopted broadly.

Read: Python Classes and Objects

Python can be used professionally

Python is a powerful scripting language that can be used to build professional software programs with the utmost quality. These software apps can be used as a standalone application or web service too. The basic use case for Python language is scripting or automation. This is not just a replacement for batch files or shell scripts but it can be used to enable automated interactions with GUIs or web browsers etc. Hence, scripting and automation are the tip of the iceberg with Python.

Once you are sure about Python advantages and why it is broadly accepted by organizations and developers, let us learn the general application programming with Python.

Disadvantages of Python

While Python is armed with an arsenal of awesome features and desirable attributes, it is not without some limitations. Read on to know more.

Limited scope in mobile development

Python is not considered to be the ideal language for mobile computing and development. It has only a few built-in mobile applications.

More runtime errors

Because Python is a dynamic language, most errors show up only during its runtime. Thus, it requires more testing than other languages.

Limited database access

Because the access layer in Python is rather primitive, database access with Python is on the lower side, when compared to JDBC, OBDC and other technologies.

High memory consumption

Because it offers the flexibility of several types of data, Python is not the language of choice when it comes to tasks that are memory intensive.

Click Here: To Learn Python Dictionary

Slower speed

When compared to languages like C and C++, Python fares behind them in terms of speed.
The array of desirable features and clear advantages make Python a language of choice, especially for beginners in computer programming. The massive support base, its compatibility with many operating systems, and the availability of the huge, standard library only add to these advantages and steers Python clear ahead of other programming languages in terms of popularity and application.

Learn General application programming with Python

This is possible in creating both cross-platform or command-line apps with Python.  Python does not have the native ability to develop a standalone binary app from a script but the third-party packages in python can be used to accomplish the same. Here are the general application programming areas where Python can be used successfully.
application programming with Python

Read: Python String

Data science, AI, Or machine learning with Python

Data analysis, AI or machine learning are the most growing areas in IT and important use cases of Python as well. Plenty of libraries that are utilized in AI or data science have Python interfaces. Today, Python has become one of the popular languages for numeric algorithms and tools designing.

Restful APIs or Web services in Python

The native libraries and third-party web frameworks in Python are the most convenient and faster ways to generate everything from web services to REST APIs or data-driven sites. The latest versions of Python are more supportable for asynchronous operations where thousands of requests can be managed together within second with the help of a robust set of libraries.

Code generation or metaprogramming in Python

When we are talking about the Python then everything is an object including libraries, modules, etc. In the technical marketplace, Python is taken as the most efficient code generator where writing apps are easy with multiple functionalities and extensibility that is difficult to pull off with other languages.

Read this Blog: Python Files

What is the Glue code in Python?

The other name for Python is Glue Language that can let disparate code interoperate. For the same reason, it is used with data science or machine learning frequently. This is just one area of application but it can be used for many other domains too.
This is clear from the discussion that Python is more suitable for application programming but it is not a good option for system-level programming. Further, it could be taken ideal for standalone binaries or cross-platform apps. The app development with Python is always elegant and simple.

Python Compared with other Technologies

S. No Compared Technologies Description
1. Python Vs Java There are many that Python offers to Java developers, and both languages are interesting in all aspects. We can have Python and Java compiled to bytecodes which are running on virtual machines. Still, Python can automate this process during runtime, whereas a separate program is designed by Java. These languages are isolated by the virtual machines largely from the underlying hardware vagaries. As per the report from GitHub’s annual October, Python and Java are the second and third most widespread languages. Among the well-known 10 languages, Python is the top-most rapidly raising language. Python is seen to be in the market for a longer period when compared to Java. As per the survey from Digital Ocean’s recent language, Python stands at the second place of open source languages whereas Java stands at fourth place. Python is dynamic, but Java is making use of static types. Writing, designing, troubleshooting the programs are the important significances that get affected in the fundamental method.
2. Python Vs C Python is an object-oriented programming model whereas C is an imperative programming model. Variables are not declared in Python, but we can see variables declared in C language. Python has a large library containing built-in functions. The built-in functions of C are very much limited. Fewer language construction is enough to create your programs in Python as it has very easy syntax accessibility. You cannot write a program simply in C or C# as you need to know how to compile, what is a namespace, methods, classes, and a few more. If you are looking to have high performance and speed, then it is better to opt Python as it is easy to learn and has a smooth platform for development. But to have an outstanding Microsoft integration, C is the better choice.

Click Here: To Learn Python Exception Handling

Jobs roles in learning Python

Below are the roles available for Python professionals:

S. No Job Role Description
1. Programmers Python is extremely collaborative and well-considered for its strong syntax. Python has a huge collection of processes for developers to handle unused resources or memory. Programmers from various backgrounds use Python in many significant methods.
2. Software Engineer Software engineers use Python language to plan, develop, assess and maintain software applications. Such applications can be created as per the requirements of clients. Web frameworks, core python, and Object-relational mappers are the concepts that a Software Engineer should be aware of. For the purpose of integrating applications with other components, software engineers are expected to have knowledge on RESTful API and multi-process architecture. The average salary for a Software Engineer is $103,000.
3. Data Analyst Data Analysis and interpretation is taken care by Data Analyst. With god knowledge on Statistics and Mathematics, an analyst can perform many important tasks using Python scripts in their job. Pandas, seaborn, Numpy, Matplotlib, etc are the libraries used for data manipulation and visualization. Hence, Python is a boon for Data Analyst. The average salary for a Data Analyst is $65,000.
4. Data Scientist A Data Scientist who is good in mathematics, interpretation, Data Analysis, manipulation, and statistics can surely help in the decision making procedure. A data scientist must be aware of all the Python libraries such as sci-kit-learn, Tensorflow, etc methodically. The average salary for a Data Scientist is $120,000.
5. Machine Learning Engineer Apart from Statistics and Mathematics, Machine learning engineer should be able to recognize the concepts like machine learning algorithms, Neural network architecture, and deep learning. Regression Analysis, gradient descent, and building prediction models are the algorithms need to be known by all the Machine learning Engineers. The average salary for Machine Learning would be $135,000.
6. AI Engineer Data Modelling concepts and programming skills are important for AI Engineers to shine in their careers. Scripting with Python is a crucial part of AI. Some of the common jobs taken care of by AI are Knowledge Representation, Reasoning, General Intelligence, Natural language processing, and general intelligence.
7. Automation Testing Engineer Automation Testing Engineer is one of the top-most job roles available for the Python learners. Python programming skills are the basis for all the Automation Test Engineer. ATLC methodology, Selenium web driver, TestNG, ATLC methodology are some of the mandatory technologies required for this specific role. Designing and executing the automation scripts will enable us to check the process functionality.
8. Research Analyst Research Analysts are responsible for analyzing, researching and interpreting data that are related to finance, marketing, economics, and operations. The average salary for a Research Analyst is $65,000.

Click Here: To Learn Python Operators

Python in 2020

Though there are many languages to learn that helps in developing an app, website, project or business, there are very few languages that are very user-friendly with various tools offered. Below are some of the top reasons to learn Python in 2020.

  1. Python offers many outstanding frameworks and libraries such as Flask and Django. These are the important factors that help in easy web development. The tasks done in PHP would take high time which can be completed in a few minutes in Python. Web scrapping is using Python for a longer betterment and one of the renowned websites built by Python is Reddit. Many have suggested joining Python and Django Full stack developer boot camp to become a master in Python Web Development. Few free Python free courses are also available. Web development in 2020 is going to be an effective part of your career.
  2. Python can be used for multipurpose. On learning Python, you can perform many tasks. Web application creation using Flask and Django, Data Analysis with the help of Scikit-learn, Scipy, NumPy, and NLTK are some of the major tasks handled. You can also automate many of your daily tasks using Python scripts. In 2020, automated tasks are expected to be in the higher count and even a small manual work will get evaded.
  3. Machine Learning is one of the top reasons to opt for Python in the year 2020. Machine Learning is growing extensively in the last few years, and you can change many things around us. Some of the best examples for Machine Learning is Google’s Search Algorithms, Uber driven with algorithms and Chatbots to answer your queries. Python is a significant programming language which also helps in doing a pet project and play around the application.
  4. There are many people who got bored in Java Programming and got into Python to make a career in Data Science. As we can see exciting work opportunities and good pay, 2020 is going to be a rocking year for all the Data Science lovers. The framework and libraries of Python offer Numpy, Pandas, Machine Learning, PyMySQL, PyBrain Data Science, and AI are the great reasons to go with Python programming. To become a Data Scientist in 2020, many are suggesting to get the course in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Data Science with Python.
  5. People always lookout for a programming language with simple syntax and coding. Python is easy for set up, simple and readable. It is not required to deal with any classpath difficulties. You can simply install Python without any issues and Python can be run on the machine from anywhere. 2020 is the year where you can get a simple coding process with all the required ad-on.

Click Here: To know Python Career Opportunities

Certifications on Python

Python programming certifications permit you to become a specialist in programming, IT Professionals, and Software Developers. There are three levels of certifications which are Entry, Associate, and Professional.

S. No. Certification Name Description
1. Certified Entry Level Python Programmer (PCEP) Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer certification enables the individual to become familiar with worldwide computer programming concepts such as condition, containers, data types, functions, loops, conditions along with Python semantics, programming language syntax, and the runtime environment. The exam duration would be 45 minutes and the cost of the exam is $59.
2. Certified Associate in Python Programming (PCAP) Certified Associate in Python Programming certification affords great confidence for your programming skills, and you can be an outstanding candidate. PCAP certification is an added advantage for your career, and this would be a great start for your professional level. The cost for this exam would be approximately $295 and the duration would be 75 minutes in total.
3. Certified Professional in Python Programming 1 (PCPP-32-1) Through Certified Professional in Python Programming 1 certification, you can acquire advanced Python programming skills and knowledge. The skills taught to you in this level of certification are PEP conventions, Advanced OOP, Text File Processing, and GUI Programming. The exam duration would be about 75 minutes and the cost is $195.
4. Certified Professional in Python Programming 2 (PCPP-32-2) You can get a wide knowledge of programming skills and Python-related technologies if you are completing the Certified Professional in Python Programming 2 certification. This certificate demonstrates the concepts of Creating and Distributing Packages, Python-MySQL Database Access, Network Programming, and IPC. This is an expert level of certification which shows your higher interest and passion for Python. The exam duration would be about 75 minutes and the cost is $195.

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