Java vs. Python — Why Python Is Preferred More by Developers

Java and Python have long engaged in a battle to establish themselves as the more dominant player in the software industry. This conflict is made more interesting by the constant evolution of the programming languages. Then there’s the pivotal role of the ‘commanders’ of this battle: software developers.

In this blog, we’ll try to understand the dynamics of the Java vs. Python conflict (without participating in the battle itself!).

Threats to Java’s popularity grew with the rising demands of services like Python web development. With its fast-evolving features, Python is trying to provide developers a hyper-efficient development platform. Even so, Java is not behind in the race. Its legacy and the vast world of libraries make it a preferred platform. Let’s have a look at the top features of Java and Python first.

Major Advantages of Programming in Java

Easy to learn

Java is easy to use by design. Hence it’s easy to write, compile, debug, and learn than most of the other coding languages. Programmers can easily become proficient in Java and write high-quality codes.

Platform independent

Java can move easily from a software platform to another. This ability to execute the same program on many different platforms is critical to areas like web development.

The cross-platform nature enables programmers to write one code and run it across desktop, mobile, and embedded systems.

Object-oriented coding

The object-oriented nature of Java allows developers to create modular programs and write reusable codes. This saves lots of efforts and time, improving the productivity of the development process.

Highly Stable

Java is a mature language that has immensely evolved over the years. Hence it’s more stable and predictable. The stability of the coding language allows developers to produce desired results in Java app development.

Community Support

Being one of the most popular languages in the software industry, and across enterprises, Java has a large active community. This community of Java developers engage in discussions and share updates. The community support helps developers easily solve complicated problems

What Makes Python an Unstoppable Competitor of Java

Python is a general-purpose coding language. It is dynamically typed. The language was first released in 1991 with a design philosophy of code readability and use of whitespace. The programming language gives developers an object-oriented approach aided with clear and logical code. Today, Python app developmentis a fast-growing vertical in the software development industry.

Remarkable Advantages of Using Python for Coding

Diverse support libraries

The Python programming language provides extensive support libraries covering areas like internet protocols, string operations, Python web development, and operating system interfaces. These libraries provide the base codes for many complicated programming. So the coders don’t have to write such codes from the beginning.

Third-party modules

A number of third-party modules are available with the Python Packaging Index. This makes the language capable of interacting with other programming languages and development platforms.

Excellent readability

Python is completely uncluttered, readable, and has an easy-to-learn syntax. Python’s coding style guidelines provide a set of general rules and best practices to efficiently facilitate the formatting of codes.

Organized data structure

Python has an in-built list and dictionary data structures. These make it easier for developers to rapidly construct runtime data. Besides, Python also lets developers use dynamic, high-level data typing that reduces the length of support code.

Fast Development

With its clean, object-oriented design, Python enables an exceptionally fast development process. It provides enhanced process control, strong integration, code processing, and efficient unit testing. These factors, together, result in a higher speed and productivity. Therefore Python is often preferred for multi-protocol application development.

Comparing Key Features of Java and Python

Platform Architecture

The programming language relies on the Java Virtual Machine for the runtime environment. JVM converts the Java bytecode into coding languages that can be compiled during code execution. This mechanism creates a great architectural experience for Java developers.

In Python language, the interpreter translates the source code into machine-independent bytecode. The bytecode file is then stored in some other folder for future operations. When programmers run the same program, Python deploys the bytecode without translating it again.

User-friendliness

Python follows a dynamic programming model. Hence the codes are shorter and easy to learn. This makes the language immensely popular among developers.
Although Java is also easy to write, compile, and debug, Python gets the advantage of more being more dynamic than Java.

Readability of code

The coding format of Python is linear and less dispersed than Java. Python also provides coding style guidelines that make the programming process neat and systematic. This provides Python a great advantage over Java.

Scope of development

Java is mainly used for developing desktop GUI apps, embedded systems, web applications, mobile apps, middleware solutions, and enterprise software applications, among others.
Python is preferred for building image processing and graphic design apps, AI and machine learning solutions, operating systems, web frameworks, web apps, and prototyping, among others.

Market popularity

Finally, the fate of a development platform depends heavily on its popularity in the market, especially among developers.
Java has dominated the app development market for a long time. However, its popularity started to decline after the arrival of theKotlin development platform. Even so, Java remains one of the most widely used programming languages. The popularity of Python has remained unchanged. In fact, it has experienced a rise in use across the industry due to the emergence of areas like Kivy Python app development. In terms of popularity, therefore, both languages intensely compete with each other.

At OrangeMantra, a Python web development company, we build hyper-efficient and futuristic software solutions that empower enterprises. Having spent more than two decades in the software development business, we know how to make solutions that transform businesses.

FAQs

Which is better Java or Python?

Both Python and Java are highly efficient programming languages. Python has an easy-to-read, elegant syntax. It’s a highly preferred option for scripting and rapid application development in areas like Python web development. Whereas, Java is platform-independent, easy-to-learn, and highly stable. Java also provides a vast range of support libraries.

Should I learn Python or Java first?

Both Java and Python are two of the most widely used programming languages. It’s better to learn Java first. Everything is shown up at runtime in Python, which also makes it difficult to debug and analyze the code. In Java, it’s easy to compile, debug, and, analyze code.

Why Python is preferred over Java?

Multiple factors are in play when comes to preferring Python over Java. Coding in Python is much faster than Java. Python is more dynamic, easy to learn and more evolved. Besides, the platform is compatible with emerging technologies like AI and machine learning.

Is Python used for Web development?

Python is widely used for developing large scale web applications. The programming language is preferred for complex applications that are not possible to develop using other languages like .NET and PHP.

Originally published at https://www.orangemantra.com on February 24, 2020.