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What are the common usage of python programming language?

What are the pros and cons of learning Python as a first programming language?

  • As Python is often recommended as a first programming language, as in:

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    Python has a very tight "write/test/revise" cycle. It's very easy and fast for the programmer learner to conduct tests and thought experiments in order to prove concepts to oneself. I believe a prime risk to the success of the learner are the non-programming tasks associated with many programming languages. These tasks consume time and effort and subtract from the ultimate task of the learner: learning programming fundamentals. Concretely, tasks such as compilation and compiler error interpretation inflate the write/test/revise cycle. Python developers are able to prototype ideas and trial language features with extremely small time and effort. In my experience, this allows the learner (as well as the experienced developer) to assimilate understanding quicker, as I believe the speed of learning is a function of the speed of one being able to conduct mini-experiments". There are many other languages which promote an advantageous so-called write/test/revise cycle. Ruby, and JavaScript come to mind. In my experience, Python has going for it many attributes which make it a language that provides utility that evolves along with the programmer's level of skill. To enumerate: Python is imbued with several powerful language paradigms: imperative, object-oriented, functional Python's standard library is enormous and packed with friendly, non-pedantic tools and functionality that are truly present to ease the job of the developer Python is graced with an astronomical number of high-quality third party libraries across myriad important programming domains iPython - a third party interactive Python session, and much more The cons (from my perspective) Python is dynamically typed - the Python interpreter will not do type checking on function/method signatures. This can often be a good thing. Python's threading model precludes it from enjoying SMP-style parallelism. This is a limitation of many interpreted languages. It can be sidestepped through the use of multiprocessing. Also, this is not an important consideration for the learner. Python does not expose the programmer to low-level operating systems concerns such as memory management. This is mostly a good thing, however, at a certain stage in a programmer's career, low level concerns are important.

Michael Wilson at Quora Visit the source

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PROS OF PYTHON It requires less time to develop than, for instance, in Java, as programs are shorter. So faster development and also deeper prototyping would give you a competitive advantage. Python has quite simple syntax and easy-to-use data structures. It performs well across different platforms. The language has good scalability. Apps powered or supported by Python include Instagram, Pinterest, Django, Google, NASA, Yahoo, etc. You can also check out more https://wiki.python.org/moin/OrganizationsUsingPython#Web_Development CONS OF PYTHON Performance could be better. Programs in Python are slower than in Java, for example. This is obviously because it is one of the interpreted languages, which are normally slower than compiled languages.  Also Infographics describes cases in which Python should be used: http://letzgro.net/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-programming-language-for-a-web-app-infographic/.

Charlie Kellner

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