Today, a large number of programming languages have been created, and Python occupies a special place among them. It is used today in various fields. Companies of various levels develop their own Python applications. In this article, we will talk about the origins, development, features, and prospects of this programming language.
A little bit of history
Python development began back in the 80s of the 20th century. It was then that Guido van Rossum came up with the idea of creating a completely new programming language that would succeed ABC and could work with the Amoeba operating system.
Guido van Rossum
It should be noted that until 2018, the author was actively involved in the development of Python. The first preview version appeared in 1991. As early as 1994, the main Python forum, comp.lang.python, was formed.
As for Python 1.0, this version was released in 1994. As it developed, new features were added to the language that attracted more and more developers. Every year, significant additions were made to the language, which were released with new versions. The last one was published in October 2020.
So Python is a programming language with a fairly long history. Moreover, according to StackOverflow (a well-known English-speaking community of developers), this language is the fastest growing despite the fact that it was released more than 20 years ago.
What are the main features of Python
The main feature of this programming language is that it is quite easy to understand and learn. Moreover, even those who have never experienced programming before can do this. And for those who already have experience writing applications in other languages, learning Python will not be difficult at all.
One of the most important differences between this language and Java or C is that it uses less code to write applications. That is, students will be able to write their first application much faster.
Another feature is that Python has numerous libraries that can help you achieve your programming goals much more quickly. For example, Pygame allows you to write games and multimedia applications. The Pandas library is used to work with bigdata. Django is used for the server side when developing various applications.
Python is used in the work of large companies. For example, this language is used to analyze data and create recommendations at well-known online retailers Amazon and Spotify. Walt Disney uses Python to create animations.
Such well-known social networks and online streaming sites as Instagram and Youtube are entirely written in Python. Finally, the language is used by NASA to automate WAS processes. Now let's see in what areas this development language is used. Python and the US NSA are used to encrypt and analyze information.
Web applications
This is one of the uses of Python. Various frameworks are used for web development. The most popular is Django. Also, using this language, you can create your own websites, for which a whole set of engines is used. And various parsers written in Python are used to collect information on the Internet. They can be used, for example, to analyze competitors' sites.
Programmes
Python is used to write a wide range of programs designed for various purposes. For example, the Blender 3D graphics editor is written in this language. BitTorrent was also created using Python.
Mobile apps
This is one of the most popular destinations today. Mobile apps have literally captured the minds of many developers and are in high demand. However, if we consider this particular segment, Python is somewhat inferior to Java. For iOS (Apple mobile devices), languages such as Swift or Objective-C are used. Python comes to the rescue when you need to write the backend of an application.
Games
The gaming industry was born a long time ago and today it is a multi-billion dollar business. Many games are either fully or partially written using Python. For example, the developer used this language to create masterpieces such as Battlefield 2 or Civilization IV. The well-known game World of Tanks or World of Tanks also uses Python.
In addition to all of the above, the language is also used to create various scripts and embedded systems. So, as you can see from all of the above, Python has a wide range of applications that are not limited to any one area.
The advantages and disadvantages of Python
The advantages of this programming language include the following:
- It is ideal for getting acquainted with development. Python is easier and easier to understand than more complex languages. So it's perfect for a start.
- Many development environments are available for working with Python. In addition, a large number of libraries and frameworks are available that significantly simplify the process of creating applications.
- Python is the fastest growing. Despite its rather “respectable” age, the language is not only in demand, but is also constantly developing. New versions are released every year that introduce certain elements of improvements and optimizations.
- Python is in demand on the market. Despite the growing number of programmers working in this language, demand for it is also growing.
- Less code. Development in Python is much faster than in other programming languages.
Now let's look at the main drawbacks:
- Programs written with Python are considered to be among the slowest. For example, mobile apps developed with Swift are 8.7 times faster. This programming language is not suitable for tasks that require a large amount of memory.
- Dependence on system libraries.
- The interpreter does not allow multiple streams to be executed simultaneously.
In principle, the advantages mentioned above are decisive when learning a programming language. After learning Python, a programmer will be able to learn other languages much faster. Therefore, you can ignore the shortcomings.
Python language perspectives
Should I send my child to learn Python? Yes, because this language has good prospects. It is developing rapidly and is constantly being updated. Demand on the labor market is also quite high. Python is one of the best programming languages for working with big data. And today this area is very promising.
For example, Python is used to write programs that collect data on customer activity, analyze the situation in the company and make forecasts for its development. In the face of increasing competition and business expansion, such programs will be in high demand in the future.
Python is used to develop machine learning algorithms. For example, using this programming language, a special recommendation service was developed on Netflix.
Another promising area is data parsing. Website promotion on the Internet is an important stage in the development of any business. To simplify this procedure, special scripts are written using Python that allow you to collect information about links, pictures, and much more.
As for salaries, everything here is rather arbitrary. For example, at the time of writing this review, Python developers in Moscow earn 80,000 rubles or more. This figure varies by region, but the average is from 70,000 rubles.
