For experienced programmers, new programmers, and aspiring programmers, Python is a loved programming language, and for a good reason.
Python offers features and capabilities that have attracted the majority of programmers to use it.
Let’s take a look at Python’s usage distribution among the programming community and see the reasons why it is adopted.
Why Python is so popularly used by programmers
According to Google Trends data, Python has been the most widely used programming language since 2019 compared to languages such as Java, PHP, and C++.
Source: Google Trends
According to Berkeley.edu, after JavaScript, Python is the second most in-demand programming language in 2023.
As you can see, there are a lot of people using Python as their programming language for developing software, web services, scripts, automation processes, etc.
Here are the reasons why Python is so popular among programmers and non-programmers:
Python is a versatile programming language
Python being a versatile programming language makes it the preferred choice for a wide range of tasks such as automation, web development, AI and ML, and other computing tasks.
Yes, Python is a perfect choice for web development because it makes it easy to develop websites and web services such as API.
Python is beginner-friendly and approachable
Python can be adopted by anyone interested in learning programming because it is easy to learn and understand the concepts.
Python’s straightforward syntax makes it the most approachable programming language. For any new programmer wishing to read and write code, Python has a very low entry barrier.
It is not overly technical. Besides, there are a wealth of resources and support from Python programming communities.
Python has a very simple syntax
Due to its simple and approachable syntax, new programmers find Python very easy to learn and adopt.
Besides, Python puts more emphasis on relating programming syntax to the way we write and read the English language, making it easier for new programmers to learn it and create projects.
Because of its simple syntax, Python has attracted a large community of programmers into the field.
Python’s ease of usage
I and other developers, find Python to be very easy to use. The usability comes from its simple and intuitive syntax that makes writing code much faster.
Besides, you do not have to wait for the program to compile; therefore, leveraging your time on business logic.
Due to its ease of use and faster execution, Python helps boost programmers’ productivity and efficiency.
Python is a general-purpose language
Python is a general-purpose programming language making it suitable for creating any type of project without Python being specialized to one specific real-world problem.
Thus, Python can be used for developing solutions in many areas or fields; thus making the programming adoptable by many programming enthusiasts.
Python has an extensive library of built-in libraries, modules, and frameworks
The libraries, modules, and packages offered by Python organization and third parties can be used across any type of project from small to large. Not to mention that these libraries and frameworks are free and open source. With these built-in and other third-party packages and frameworks, Python has extensive support for libraries, which is a perfect feature that lures many new programmers.
Python is a cross-platform programming language
Python can be used by anyone using a Windows, Linux, or macOS machine.
Programmers can write code on one platform, test it, and port the code into another platform without the need for significant changes. As an example, you can develop a Django web application on Windows or macOS platforms and eventually deploy it on an Ubuntu server.
This cross-platform compatibility allows developers to create software/web that can run on various operating systems without having to rewrite the code for each platform.
Because of that, saving time and resources for developers is much easier with Python.
Python is very scalable
Python has built-in features such as generators and coroutines that helps improve performance. Code scalability is very possible when using python.
Due to its improved performance, Python makes it very scalable and attractive for small to very large projects.
Therefore, you can build very scalable software solutions across these fields:
- Web development (websites and web applications)
- Software/App development
- Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
- Small to Large automation scripts
- Data Science and Analytics, among many other uses.
Python’s active community makes learning and support resources accessible
Due to its active community, Python is popularly used among programmers because new and expert Python coders have access to active support, learning materials, and documentation.
The active community has also contributed towards the development of open source packages and frameworks such as Django that can be integrated or extended on Python.
The vast open-source packages and libraries have only enabled Python to be a suitable solution for any kind of project.
Access to active support, learning materials, and contribution to open source projects has widened the net for Python, capturing programmers from various technological fields.
Thus, increasing its popularity.
Python is a high-performance programming language
Python is a quite fast programming language and because of that, it has attracted many programmers who adopt it. Due to its execution speed, programmers are able to write and test their programs faster while dedicating time to other important tasks such as business-logic building.
Python is an interpreted language, meaning that a program does not need to be compiled, executed, and debugged. Instead, you write your program, and run the code, without having to compile it. Python code executes at run time.
Other features that make Python’s high performance attractive are:
- Python supports multiple programming paradigms
- Python supports object-oriented programming
- Python supports functional programming
- Python supports procedural programming
Because programmers can implement their code into different programming paradigms, it makes them adopt Python as the perfect choice.
With that, they are able to be more efficient while writing their code.
Here’s how
- The Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) paradigm supports the creation of classes, functions, and objects in Python. These features encapsulate data and methods making them reusable. Code reusability is one of the practices that make coding efficient and time-saving.
- OOP, through the creation of encapsulated data and methods, makes Python code very maintainable. Code that is maintained easily saves time when debugging and adding new features.
- The functional programming paradigm allows software engineers to think about the best implementation of business logic in the form of pure functions. Thus, it allows developers to think better, write better functions, and test their implementations easily.
- The procedural programming paradigm allows programmers to organize their code into procedures that can be called whenever needed. Procedures also help in achieving code reusability and maintainability.
Depending on the use case and the business logic a programmer wishes to implement, they have the freedom to choose any of these paradigms. The end result is a more efficient and optimized code.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Python is a popular programming language that owes its adoption to the vast features it provides, versatility, and high performance.
Besides, Python has a lot to offer in terms of its simple and intuitive syntax; extensive libraries and frameworks; support for multiple programming paradigms that include object-oriented, procedural, and functional paradigms; capability of solving a majority of real word problems; and support for ML/AI, web development, automation, and software development.
Because of that, Python is a go-to choice among software engineers, because it offers the freedom to work on any project and use case.
