Looking to get into programming? Check out why Python should be your preferred programming language.
Before we dive into the reasons for learning Python programming, let us take a step back and look at what Python is.
Initially developed in the late 1980s by Guido Van Rossum, Python is a high-level programming language. It is named after the British comedy group Monty Python, and Van Rossum modeled the language after the English language. By designing the code style similar to that of regular English the language was easier to read and understand than other programming languages.
Python is an open-sourced language, and it has increased in popularity in recent years, partly due to its use in data science. Python is also widely used in machine learning, data modeling, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analysis.
There are hundreds of different programming languages out there, but Python is regarded by many as the perfect place to start.
Here are 5 reasons to learn Python
1. It is easy to learn!
Python is a very powerful, but also a simple language that is easy to learn. It closely resembles the English language and was developed in a way that makes it more logical to understand than other languages. It is free, open-source, and is blessed with a large community.
Because of the simplicity of the code, it is a great language to learn if you want to open the doors to the programming world.
That is why Python is a popular first-time program language deployed at universities to get students into computer science. Compared to other languages Python has a relatively gentle learning curve.
Python also provides a well-furnished standard library, and many external libraries are available. Because of this, you can quickly develop concrete applications and websites.
2. It is a very popular
According to the Tiobe Index, Pypl Index, and Github Octoverse, Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world.
The TIOBE Index is an indicator of a programming language’s popularity based on the number of search queries across 25 search engines, as well as the number of skilled engineers worldwide, courses, and third-party vendors. In June 2021 Python sat in second place in the TIOBE Index, preceded only by C.
One of the reasons for Pythons growing popularity is its recent explosive use in data science, machine learning, and AI.
Google, Facebook, and Spotify are a few examples of companies that use Python as one of their main programming languages. Python’s flexibility, rapid development, scalability, and excellent performance are some of the reasons for its popularity among the tech giants.
3. It can do boring tasks for you!
Are you spending too much time on Excel spreadsheets? With some basic Python skills, you can streamline a lot of the routine work you spend hours and hours doing in Excel.
If you work with a lot of data, you can save a lot of time by letting a simple Python program help gather and organize the data for you. With the right set of coding skills and a little bit of tinkering, it is possible to automate your life and be more efficient with work, home, and entertainment.
4. Python has a vibrant community and well supported external libraries
In addition to a vast standard library Python, the Python community is constantly developing many external libraries and frameworks as free public resources. Because of this, you can quickly develop concrete applications without having to build your own supporting infrastructure.
You can use Python for web development, using frameworks like Django, Flask, and Pylons. You can do data science and visualization using Numpy, Pandas, and Matplotlib. If machine learning is your thing, you can use Tensorflow or Scikit-learn.
For desktop applications, you can use PyQt, Gtk, wxWidgets, and many more, while Kivy or BeeWare are great for mobile applications.
Python also has a large online community, which allows you to communicate with other Python programmers and get a lot of hints, tips, and new knowledge just by browsing the internet.
5. Employability
The most significant reason you should learn Python is the market demand for Python developers.
A quick LinkedIn search shows nearly half a million vacant Python developer jobs worldwide. Many of them can be done remotely, allowing yo to bring your dream job to you, or take your job and live wherever you want.
The growing popularity of Python indicates that there will be a great demand for Python developers in years to come.
Still not convinced that Python is for you?
Our Python-lecturer Jean-Clive Bailey points out that Python is not only for data science and business-oriented purposes. Bailey explains that it is also fun, and not only because it is named after a famous comedy group!
- It is not only extremely powerful and useful in a lot of industries and jobs. It is a fun language! You can use Python for a lot of Internet of things projects, you can use it for micro-projects at home and you can also make games with Python, said Bailey.
