In previous posts, we have seen some general discussion of Python. But a beginner, programmer or developer can naturally ask the question that is Python technically sound? In this blog post, we will discuss about this –
Object Oriented
Python supports three types of programming paradigms: procedural, object oriented and functional programming. If a programming language is to be object oriented, it must support features like polymorphism, inheritance, encapsulation, abstraction; and Python has all of them. Moreover, these things are much more straightforward in Python than in other programming languages. That’s why code reuse is very easy.
Portable
Interestingly, this Python language is written using the portable ANCI C language. Due to which Python can run virtually on most platforms. Many programming languages require changes to the code to run the program on different platforms, but Python’s (write once, run anywhere”) feature allows you to run that code on any platform with just one code. It is capable of running on any computer operating system known today, starting with mobile systems. For example –
- Windows Operating System
- Linux Operating System
- Mac OS
- Symbian OS
- Gaming Console
- Android OS
- Pocket PS systems etc.
As mentioned earlier, Python has several GUI based libraries, so software can be easily developed for different operating systems without major changes to the original code.
It’s Free
Python is completely free and open source language. Python is developed under an OSI-endorsed open-source license, and Python is free for use and distribution by anyone, including for commercial purposes. Being open source, its support is also fantastic. Anyone from anywhere in the world can contribute here, which is why Python has so many libraries and APIs.
Python is relatively easy to learn and use
It has been mentioned earlier that learning Python is comparatively much easier than other programming languages. Even if you have learned other programming languages before, you can learn basic programming within a day. It takes time to become an expert in anything, similarly effort is required to become an expert here.
Python is easy to use. Personally, when I write a Python program, I feel like I am writing pseudo code. No data type is needed, no special punctuation is needed, just write and maintain the alignment correctly.
Hybrid Feature
In terms of features, Python covers everything from scripting language to system development ; So in one word it can be called hybrid programming language. Some of the important features are discussed below –
- Automatic Memory Management
- I first began learning programming with C programming. There was a detailed discussion on memory allocation in one of the chapters. Using pointers required managing memory with malloc, which was quite troublesome. However, Python automatically manages memory, so there’s no fear of memory dumps.
- Dynamic Typing
- In most conventional programming languages, it is mandatory to specify data types, meaning you have to define whether a variable will be a number or a string. On the other hand, Python is a dynamically typed programming language, which means the data type of variables is determined at runtime. Therefore, in Python, there is no hassle about data types; simply declaring a variable is sufficient. There’s no need to worry about what type it will be or its size.
- Modular Programming
- Python follows modularity, meaning its code can be divided into modules and classes, which makes code reuse much easier.
- Build in Object
- In Python, all necessary data structures like lists, dictionaries, and sets are available as built-ins, meaning there’s no need to create them separately. Moreover, various algorithms such as sorting or mapping can be easily utilized.
- Third party support
- Since Python is an open source language, there are numerous third party libraries or frameworks available for any task.
- Easy-to-integrate with Other Programming Languages
- Another special feature of Python is its interoperability with other programming languages through APIs. Python not only works with tools like Jython and Cython but can also easily integrate with other programming languages, facilitating the use of extensive libraries and services across different platforms.
Rapid Development
Users can create new types of applications using the Python programming language. Because of Python’s versatility, the language allows programmers to try new things. No other programming language offers the flexibility and freedom that Python does.
Active Python Community Support
Python users can contribute significantly to the development of Python’s libraries and the improvement of the language. Many individuals are working to make Python larger and more advanced. And it is because of all these contributions that, to date, more than two hundred thousand custom-built software packages have been uploaded. Python has become even more attractive due to community support. If you encounter any problems, you will quickly receive help from the community support.
Security
It is one of the most secure programming languages because of the Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP) Python Security Project. Using it, programmers can create secure versions of their code. This makes the code more resistant to everything from hacking to manipulation.
Summary
Python has some disadvantages such as slow speed, takes up more memory, weak in mobile applications, errors may occur at runtime. But apart from all these problems you can do programming in Python very easily and well. So there is no reason to worry about these problems.