• Python : "Is it Best Programming Language"

    I would argue Python is the most important programming language in the world as of 2015. First, let's start with semantics––what does "important" mean? Importance, as defined by multiple dictionaries, is the quality of having the most significance and value. In terms of programming, here's what significance and value can translate into (obviously, this list is short, but it gives you a general idea of my argument):
    • Syntax – How is the learning curve for beginners? Is it easy to read? Is it comparatively easier to debug code when compared to other languages? How about the names for functions and libraries?
    • Usability – How can this language be utilized for various situations and circumstances? Does the language have to be replaced by other languages when used in particular scenarios?
    • Community – How many people are contributing to the language? Is it open-source or maintained by an organization? How many tools and resources are available for beginners that want to get their hands dirty and begin coding?
    I'll start with syntax. Python's syntax and code is some of the most unique I have seen across all programming languages. It's amazingly beginner-friendly and usually you can take a good look at Python code and know exactly what it is doing. Here's "Hello World" in different languages:

    Python
    print "Hello World"


    JavaScript
    console.log("Hello World");


    Java
    1
    2
    3
    public static void main(String[] args) {
         System.out.println("Hello World");
    }


    Even for non-programmers, one can pretty much just take a good look at the Python code and get a general idea of what it's doing. There's no need to explain what a "console" is just yet when you get to JavaScript, and definitely NO need to get into the details of what 
    public
    , 
    static
    , 
    void
    , and 
    main
    mean for the Java code. Don't even get me started with C++. Logical operators are usually common in programming languages. JavaScript and Java both use the and 
    &&
    , or 
    ||
    , and not 
    !
    operators. In Python, you literally just type, 
    and
    , 
    or
    , and 
    not
    , respectively. Did your code not compile because you forgot a semicolon at the end of your statement? Python doesn't even use semicolons.

    Next is usability. Truth be told, I think Python is one of the most versatile and efficient programming languages in the world because of the infinite number of things you can do with it. I have compiled a list of some of the amazing things you can do with Python and its applications.

    Web applications
    • Django, Pyramid, Flask, Bottle
    • Plone, django CMS
    • HTML and XML, JSON, socket interface
    • Requests, BeautifulSoup, Feedparser
    • Paramiko, Twisted Python

    Data analysis and statistics
    • SciPy, Pandas, IPython
    • MDP, mlpy, pybrain

    Desktop and GUI programming
    • wxWidgets, Kivy
    • pyqt, pyside

    Game development
    • simplegui, pygame
    • Ren'Py, pyglet, cocos2d
    • Gloopy, PyOpenGL, SPyRE

    Testing/QA
    • SCons
    • Buildbot, Apache Gump
    • Roundup, Trac

    Don't just take my word for it. Here are some great graphics and visualizations that show you how Python is faring among students, programmers, companies, and universities today.

    Data Analysis
    Higher education

    Programmers

    And finally, we have community. The Python community is already relatively large and comparable to other large programming language communities like Java, C/C++, JavaScript, and Ruby. Check out Python's community website for more details if you're not already convinced by seeing the wonderful infographics above. Hope this helps!

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