Web Programming TutorialsPython vs JavaScript : The Competition Of The Giants!

Python vs JavaScript : The Competition Of The Giants!

Programming languages are an integral part of the designing and coding process. However, not one language supports all the requirements. Python and Java are two such languages that are frequently used by programmers. In this blog, we’ll look at Python vs JavaScript and we will try to understand why the two programming languages differ?

What is Python? 

Python is defined as an interpreted, high-level, object-oriented programming language having dynamic semantics. It is high-level built via data structures, that are combined with the dynamic typing as well as the dynamic binding. This makes it very attractive for the task of Rapid Application Development, and for being utilized as a scripting language to connect the existing components. Python is simple and easy to learn syntax that emphasizes readability and hence reduces the cost towards program maintenance. 

python programming

The python language supports those modules and packages, that encourages the program modularity as well as code reuse. The Python interpreter along with the extensive standard library are easily available in the source or the binary form without any charge for all the major platforms, and it can be distributed freely. The programmers often fall in love with Python due to its increased productivity. As there is no compilation step, the edit-test-debug cycle is extremely fast. Debugging the Python program is very easy: any bug or a bad input would never cause any segmentation fault. Rather, when the interpreter comes to know of an error, it creates an exception. When a program does not catch up with the exception, then the interpreter prints a stack trace. 

The source-level debugger then allows the inspection of the local and the global variables, the evaluation of the arbitrary expressions, the setting of the breakpoints, the stepping through a code a line, one at a time, and so forth. The debugger is also written in the Python language itself, thus testifying to Python’s introspective power. Whereas on the other side, often the fastest method to debug any particular program is to simply add a few of the print statements to the source. This quick edit-test-debug cycle makes the simple approach extremely effective.

Read More: Why Python Is So Essential For Machine Learning?

Why use Python?

Let’s try to understand what features or characteristics make Python, one of the most accepted languages when it comes to programming. Below are some merits of this language over its counterparts. 

Merits of Python language

As per the latest TIOBE Programming Community Index, the Python language is considered to be among the top 10 popular programming languages of the year. Python is a general-purpose as well as a high-level programming language. An individual can easily use Python to develop desktop Graphic User Interface applications, websites or web applications. Also, the Python language, allows one to focus on the core functionality of an application by taking into account the common programming tasks. 

The easy syntax rules of Python language further make it simpler for the users to keep the code base readable and the application maintainable, at the same time. There are even several other reasons why one must prefer Python over other programming languages. These are as follows –

1) Maintainable and Readable Code

At the time of writing a software application, one must focus on the quality of the source code to simplify the updates and maintenance. The syntax rules of the Python language allow one to express the concepts without writing any additional code. Along with that Python, emphasizes the aspect of code readability, and it allows the programmers to use the English keywords rather than the punctuations. Thus, one can use Python to create custom applications without even writing any additional code. 

2) Multiple Programming Paradigms

Similar to the other programming languages, Python supports many different programming paradigms. It even supports object-oriented and structured programming techniques. Python even features a dynamic type system as well as automatic memory management. All of the programming paradigms and the language feature aids the programmers to use Python for creating large and complex software applications.

3) Compatible along with leading Platforms and Systems

Presently, Python is supported by a wide range of operating systems. One can also use Python interpreters to run the code on specific platforms and tools. Python is an interpreted programming language. It allows the user to run the same code on a variety of platforms without the need for any recompilation. Hence, one does not have to recompile the code after making any alteration. 

4) Robust Standard Library

The large and robust standard library gives Python an edge over the other programming languages. This standard library allows the user to choose from a variety of modules based on the needs of the user. Each module even enables the user to add functionality to the application without the need for writing additional code. 

5) Open Source Frameworks and Tools

 Python is an open-source programming language. It helps the user to curtail the software development cost to a great extent. One can also use the open-source Python frameworks, development tools, and libraries to curtail the development time without an increase in the development cost. One can easily accelerate the desktop GUI application development by using Python GUI frameworks as well as tool kits such as PyQT, PyGUI, PyJs, PyGTK, Kivy,  and WxPython.

6) Simplify the complex Software Development

Python is a generic purpose programming language. One can use python to develop desktop or web applications. One can make use of Python for developing of complex scientific as well as numeric applications. Python is created with features that facilitate the process of data analysis and data visualization. One can take advantage of the data analysis feature and create a custom big data solution without any extra time and effort. The data visualization libraries as well as the APIs help to visualize and present the data more appealingly and effectively. Many of the Python developers even use the Python language to accomplish artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing tasks.

JavaScript: An overview 

JavaScript is said to be a dynamic computer programming language. This is lightweight when it comes to coding, and it is most commonly used for the part of web pages. Its implementations allow the client-side script to interact with a user and create dynamic pages. JavaScript is an interpreted programming language having an object-oriented capability.

javascript 1

JavaScript was initially known as Live Script, but then the creators, Netscape, changed the name to JavaScript. This may be due to the excitement being created by Java. The JavaScript language made its maiden appearance in Netscape 2.0 in the year 1995 having the name Live Script. The basic-purpose of the language is embedded in Internet Explorer, Netscape, as well as the other web browsers.

The Client-side JavaScript is considered to be the most common variant of the language. The script must be included in or referenced to by an HTML document for a code to be interpreted by a browser. This means that the web page need not essentially be a static HTML, but it can include programs which control the browser, interact with the user, and dynamically create the HTML content.

The Client-side JavaScript mechanism offers many advantages over the traditional CGI server-side scripts. For instance, one might use the JavaScript to check whether the user has input a valid e-mail address or not in a form field. A JavaScript code is executed when a user submits a form, and only if all of the entries are valid, would they be submitted to a Web Server. The JavaScript can also be used to trap the user-initiated events such as link navigation, button clicks, and any other actions which the user initiates implicitly or explicitly. 

Merits of JavaScript 

As seen, JavaScript is an extremely helpful program for the user end interface creation. Other than that its simplicity and ease of usage makes it even more popular. Some of the merits of the JavaScript language are as follows:

  • Limited server interaction −  can easily validate the user input before sending a page off to a server. This helps to save a great deal of server traffic, which leads to less load on the server.
  • Instant feedback to the user’s − users does not have to wait for the page to reload to see if they have missed out on entering any details.
  • Increased level of interactivity − one can create multiple interfaces which react when a user hovers over any of them with a mouse or activates the same via a keyboard.
  • Enriched interfaces − One can use the JavaScript to include the items such as drag-and-drop components or sliders, to provide an enriched Interface to the site visitors.

Features of JavaScript 

Some of the important features of JavaScript are as follows:

  • JavaScript is light weighted.
  • It is an object-based programming language as it has predefined objects.
  • JavaScript is an interpreter based scripting language.
  • It offers the user better control over the browser.
  • JavaScript is said to be case sensitive.
  • It can manage dates and time.
  • Each of the statement in JavaScript should be terminated by using semicolon mark (;).
  • It is useful for detecting the user’s browser as well as OS,
  • An important feature of the JavaScript language is its ability to create new functions within the scripts. One can declare a function in the JavaScript by using the function keyword.
  • Most of the JavaScript control statements syntax is the same as the syntax of the control statements in the C language.

Python vs JavaScript

JavaScript and Python, both are excellent languages and are useful in their respective fields. Below mentioned are some of the major points of difference between Python and JavaScript. 

Source – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtMq1OJN3d4

  • The Python language is strongly typed. It has no implicit conversion between the types whereas the JavaScript is a weakly typed language. 
  • The synchronous and the blocking code is a standard aspect in JavaScript whereas python has de-facto as a default.
  • Java-Script does not have procedural programming whereas Python has it. 
  • Python is a well -designed language. This makes it easy to use and maintain whereas the JavaScript is poorly drafted. 
  • The JavaScript can be easily used to run on the frontend whereas the python language is on the hard Cs $server side programming or @on the backend.
  • Python has a newline while the Java-Script has a statement terminator.
  • Python offers a huge standard library whereas, JavaScript possess only a limited standard library.
  • Python language is slower in comparison to JavaScript when It comes to running. 
  • Java-Script is an excellent tool for mobile development whereas Python is not.
  • Python language heavily depends on the assignment with no difference between a variable and an assignment whereas in JavaScript this is not the scenario.
  • Java-Script mainly functions on the floating-point variables whereas, Python has the support for several numeral data types such as float, int, fixed-point decimal. 
  • Python has an inbuilt REPL whereas there is no such feature in JavaScript.
  • Python language is easier to get started with as compared to JavaScript.
  • Python is useful to do machine learning, data analytics, or math-intensive operations. On the other hand, JavaScript is suitable for creating a website or the native applications as it needs less time for the User Interface to work.
  • Python has several libraries for data analytics, scientific computing, as well as machine learning whereas JavaScript doesn’t.
  • Python is used mostly for the server-side programming whereas, JavaScript operates on both, the browser and the server end. 
  • Python, as well as JavaScript both, make use of a lexical scope with only small differences.
  • JavaScript is considered to be the most complex modern-day programming language in comparison to the python language.
  • Python object-based is almost equal to the JavaScript and both of them support the programming style that makes use of simple functions and variables.
  • Unlike JavaScript can easily inherit from instances whereas python can’t. 
  • JavaScript has accessed the object by using “this” whereas the Python possesses a Self-argument for the first argument in each method. 

Conclusion

Thus, it can be seen that there are some differences between JavaScript and python. Both have their own set of advantages and shortcomings. It depends mainly on the requirement, whether python would be a more suitable option or JavaScript? Hence, it is up to the developer to decide their convenience based on their preferences.   

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