Opinion
Python is a remarkable game-changing programming language and has transformed the landscape of programming to a whole different level. The meteoric rise of python has been extremely beneficial to the entire industry, but with its rising popularity, it never fails to draw in criticism.
Recently, I have been reading a few articles and watching some videos where they suggest that the glory days of python are over.
The criticism that python draws usually ranges from "It is a slow language" to "Global Interpreter Lock" to "Dynamic Typing" to "lack of mobile applications."
Do these criticisms hold true, and do they really matter?
Will python remain relevant and immaculate for the remainder of this decade?
Today, we will analyze the facts and bust some myths!
Let’s get started!
Main Criticisms and do they matter?
1. Python is "Very Slow":
It is undeniable that python is slow in comparison to languages like C, C++, and Java. One of the main reasons these languages are faster is because they statically typed, but python is a dynamically typed programming language.
These languages are compiled before they are run, unlike python, which is compiled during run-time.
Python also imports external libraries from other programming languages instead of native code.
Briefly, these factors are the main reason that python is slow, but the real question!
Does it matter?
For the end-user, it hardly makes a difference. It does not really matter if your program runs in 0.0001 seconds or in a time of 0.001 seconds.
Also, if your counting speed to be a significant factor, it is worth noting that an assembly level language will be much faster than C, C++, or even Java, but hardly anyone uses them.
However, python’s lack of speed is made up for by its faster development times and overall simplicity.
With that said, python codes can be optimized to perform slightly faster. Even if the improvement is not significant, it still should not be much of an issue for the majority of the cases.
2. Global Interpreter Lock (GIL):
Python Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) is a type of process lock which is used by python whenever it deals with processes. Generally, python only uses only one thread to execute the set of written statements. The GIL limits parallel programming in python out of the box.
This means that in python only one thread will be executed at a time. The performance of the single-threaded process and the multi-threaded process will be the same in python and the reason for this issue is GIL.
The developers of python receive a lot of complaints regarding this problem but they cannot bring a change as significant as the removal of GIL without causing backward incompatibility issues.
Does it matter?
The global interpreter lock is a controversial feature of python. It was introduced in order to avoid memory leaked and deadlocks problem.
It has more of a negative impact than a positive impact on the overall computing process. However, this can be somewhat combated with multiprocessing to an extent in python.
Multiprocessing allows you to run multiple unrelated processes simultaneously. Multiprocessing is preferred and recommended over multithreading for CPU intensive tasks.
3. Lack of contribution to Mobile App Development:
Java and other programming languages are predominant in the mobile development industry. Applications such as android studio make use of programming languages like Java and XML.
Python offers a wide variety of developments for computer and server-side systems. Unfortunately, python does not suit well towards mobile applications. As a matter of fact, python is even considered a weak language for mobile-based applications.
Does it matter?
The popularity of smartphones, tablets, and other smaller devices is on the rise. Python’s lacking feature in this department could hinder its existence as a prominent language in the future.
However, things may not be as bleak as expected because with the advancements in python and continuous updates of both the language and frameworks, it may even carter a market for Mobile App Development.
It is significant to acknowledge the things that are lack-luster about python. But it is equally essential to understand how influential are these factors on the average programmer.
Let us now look at the factors that make python a powerhouse and why it will be relevant for the upcoming years.
Why Python will remain relevant for the upcoming decade?
1. Best programming language for beginners to learn:
Python is an amazing starter language for beginners with no programming language. Python is simple and easy to learn. It also helps in understanding the basic concepts of object-oriented programming.
Python is the best way for anyone, even people with no prior experience with programming or coding languages, to get started, especially those who are planning to go further in the fields of data science, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, etc.
It has a simple approach for absolutely anyone to get involved with the language. Python is extremely versatile and has platform independence. This means python can import essential modules built in other programming languages as well.
Overall, Python is a fantastic language to start learning and will be totally worth it. It can also help to transition to other languages when required.
2. Popularity and community support:
Python is the second most popular language in the world, only behind JavaScript at the time of writing this article. This popularity does not seem to slow down any time soon.
To learn more about the popularity of python and other programming languages for 2020 and beyond, I would highly recommend all of you to check out one of my previous articles from the link below.
Python also has a fabulous community with continuous updates and newer versions. The python community, in general, is filled with amazing people, and constant updates are made to improve python.
There is active participation by the members of the community to develop new modules to keep up with the progression in the programming world. An extensive amount of resources with respect to a wide range of libraries and frameworks are continuously developed.
3. Dominant in the field of Artificial Intelligence/Data Science:
Python’s specialty is in its ability to perform visualization tasks, exploratory data analysis, and of course, in the field of artificial intelligence in the aspects of Machine Learning, deep learning, and neural networks.
The wide variety of frameworks that are accessible through python modules and libraries help to solve complicated machine learning as well as deep learning problems.
It would not be wrong to say at this moment of time that the capabilities of python in the field of artificial intelligence and data science are significant and almost unmatched.
However, there are new emerging languages on the rise that could potentially pose a threat and be a massive competitor to python. We will discuss more on three such potential languages in a future article.
As of right now, python is a great Programming language to start off with your data science journey to solve complex machine learning and deep learning projects.
Conclusion:
With this, we have come to the end of the article.
If you are a beginner programmer listening to these criticisms on the web, and you think Python may not be the best language to learn in this modern era, then you are misunderstood.
Hopefully, I was able to convey the message that despite some people jumping on the bandwagon to criticize python on some of its shortcomings, it does not mean the popularity or the performance of this remarkable programming language is going to die down in the upcoming years.
Python will still be relevant and be considered as an objectively good pick for beginners to learn as a starter language.
Its contributions in the field of AI are enormous, and its relevance in machine learning, data visualization, and deep learning will stay for the upcoming years.
I am curious to know the thoughts of the viewers. Feel free to leave a comment below if you agree or disagree with my opinion. Any constructive positivity, views, or criticism is highly encouraged and appreciated.
Check out some of my other articles that you might enjoy reading!
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Artificial Intelligence Is The Key To Crack The Mysteries Of The Universe, Here’s Why!
Thank you all for sticking on till the end. I hope you all enjoyed reading the article. Wish you all a wonderful day!
