Why Learn Python
In this article we're going to verbalise nearly why y'all should larn python correct now.
- Python is Great for Beginners
- Web Development amongst Python
- Iterative, Agile Design
- Python has High Salaries
- Python Security
- Python, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
- Python Diversity & Flexibility
You know what I genuinely hate?
Technical articles aimed at programmers that explain why you should create something where the writer doesn't depict on any personal experience.
Seriously — how tin y'all trust someone who has never been inward the trenches, fought the war, or come upwards habitation battle-scarred but victorious?
I took a dissimilar approach when putting together this article in addition to wrote something I believe other programmers similar myself would desire to hear:
Seven real, personal stories about the Python programming linguistic communication in addition to how it helped me inward my career.
I'm non hither to evangelize for Python.
I'm non hither to state y'all that Python is the "best programming language" (whatever that means).
I'm non fifty-fifty going to state y'all to "try" edifice your side past times side projection inward Python because I have no idea what your side past times side projection is in addition to whether or non Python would live a skillful jibe for it.
Instead, my finish is to relate to y'all equally a programmer. I'm going to part some personal stories from my career equally a programmer in addition to I promise that you'll run across why y'all should larn Python.
If y'all stick around in addition to read through the ease of this article, I think you'll come upwards to the same determination I did years agone — Python is going to brand an acquit upon on your future, whether y'all realize it or not. So I promise you'll run across why y'all should larn Python.
With that said, let's dive in.
#1. First fourth dimension programmer? Learn Python quickly.
I recollect when I started my journeying to becoming a software developer over xv years ago.
I was exactly a kid, maybe thirteen years quondam at most.
Andrew, a childhood friend of mine, introduced me to the footing of computers in addition to showed me how they could create much to a greater extent than than exactly connect to the network in addition to access websites.
He showed me the basics of HTML in addition to how websites were actually built using "tags" in addition to a basic markup language.
From in that location on, I was addicted.
The unbridled flat of control. The liberty of a creator. The sail of an artist. I was a programmer inward the making.
The side past times side forenoon I pleaded amongst my mom to drive me to the local library, so I could larn to a greater extent than nearly reckoner programming.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the starting fourth dimension bulk I reached for had the give-and-take "BASIC" inward the title. For a beginner, the hollo lone pulls y'all in.
Over the summertime (and amongst the aid of Andrew), I used that bulk to larn the fundamentals of programming, basic command structures, in addition to how to organize a program.
But at the terminate of the day, I felt sorely disappointed — and I almost gave upwards programming altogether come upwards the start of schoolhouse inward autumn.
How come?
I couldn't create anything "cool" amongst BASIC — the language, past times its rattling nature, was extremely limiting in addition to constrictive (ironic, since I instantly usage Python, named subsequently a serpent that squeezes in addition to crushes its prey earlier eating it).
I couldn't access low-level organization resources.
I couldn't charge in addition to manipulate images.
And whatsoever type of statistics or computational analysis?
Forget nearly it.
I spent all that time learning how to program, but I didn't genuinely remove hold anything to demonstrate for it.
All that said, I forged ahead. I realized my programming "career" didn't remove hold to halt at BASIC.
During my freshman yr of high school, I moved on to C/C++. It was a much harder linguistic communication that took me a patch to locomote proficient at. I also genuinely enjoyed the liberty that C gave me, fifty-fifty if it meant shooting myself inward the human foot from time-to-time.
After C/C++ I moved on to Java in addition to object oriented programming. That was fun, but it felt similar it took an eternity to acquire anything done.
By the terminate of my sophomore yr of high school, I had tried scripting languages for the starting fourth dimension time: specifically, Python.
I was amazed.
The code was easily readable — almost similar writing rudimentary English linguistic communication or uncomplicated abstract mathematics.
There was also an object oriented season to the code itself. Not to an extreme similar inward Java, exactly plenty of a sprinkle to brand me experience similar it was an quondam friend — in that location when I needed it.
Perhaps most surprising was how elegant my code looked.
The usage of whitespace ensured my code was organized coherently into tidy piddling blocks. And past times next basic coding standards in addition to suggestions, I was writing beautiful looking, easily maintainable code past times the terminate of my starting fourth dimension hateful solar daytime using the language.
In retrospect, I wishing I could remove hold started amongst Python.
Sure, BASIC taught me the fundamentals of programming, but Python tin create that, too, inward the same, uncomplicated manner.
If I had to plow dorsum the clock, I would remove hold skipped BASIC altogether in addition to gone correct to Python. I would remove hold enjoyed the experience more, gotten a improve investment render on my time, in addition to been improve prepared to larn C/C++ in addition to Java.
So if you're trying to create upwards one's hear on the best programming linguistic communication to learn, Python deserves a serious look.
#2. Python is used for spider web development.
I'll acknowledge it:
When I starting fourth dimension started writing spider web applications, I wasn't using Python — I was using PHP.
In fact, I was so fond of PHP that I wouldn't even consider the possibility that some other programming linguistic communication mightiness live improve for spider web development.
I was wrong.
Dead wrong.
It wasn't until my friend Patrick showed me the Python spider web framework Django that my hear changed for good.
What in 1 trial took me hours in PHP could live done in minutes using Python.
Not to elevate the fact that my code was a lot faster in addition to to a greater extent than stable.
From Django, I moved on to Flask, some other spider web framework, but tiny in addition to built for customizability.
Once I started working amongst Django in addition to Flask, I never looked dorsum to PHP.
While the bulk of websites all the same run on PHP, many new web applications are existence built using Python.
If you're planning on doing whatsoever spider web application development, give Python in addition to Django/Flask a try. I think you'll live quite impressed.
#3. Iterative, Agile Design.
Success inward startup companies does non come upwards overnight.
Instead, it comes from a serial of iterations that oftentimes await similar this:
- Find out what the (potential) client wants/needs.
- Build the Minimum Viable Product (i.e., the smallest possible laid of features that solves the customer's problem).
- Show it to the customer.
- Repeat the procedure until the client is happy.
This procedure allows startups to "stair step" their way to success. Start amongst an idea, so refine the thought in addition to production until you've "made it."
In the online world, Python is ideal for this process.
The linguistic communication allows y'all to code quickly, edifice complex applications amongst minimal lines of code (5x less than Java in addition to 10x less than C++).
Going from idea to implementation quickly is critical in the startup world, so if y'all are interested inward working amongst startup companies, I highly propose y'all larn Python.
Personally, I've been working inward startup companies since I was xviii years old.
Whether the item production was web-based, mobile, or enterprise, Python eventually found its way into the company, either equally component of the essence production or equally a supporting utility. I remove hold no uncertainty this tendency volition locomote along inward the future.
#4. High Salaries.
In a 2016 developer salary report created past times indeed.com in addition to published by codementor.io, it was constitute that the average Python developer salary was $107,000 USD:
Based on this study, Swift, Python, Ruby, C++, in addition to Java volition brand y'all the most coin (with PHP rounding out the bottom).
Given the monetization of mobile applications, perchance it's unsurprising to run across Swift at the hand of the list, equally it's typically used for developing iOS in addition to macOS applications.
But exactly below Swift is Python in addition to Ruby: the only ii scripting languages inward the hand five.
While Ruby is a general-purpose programming linguistic communication in addition to is used for a skillful many applications, when polling a laid of Ruby developers, to a greater extent than times than non you'll detect that they are using Ruby for spider web development.
Python on the other manus is different: it's to a greater extent than diverse.
Don't acquire me wrong, you'll undoubtedly run across many programmers using Python for spider web development, but you'll also run across Python powering scientific applications equally well.
Drawing from my ain personal experience, I tin state y'all that I followed this exact totem pole of salaries.
When I was working equally a PHP developer, I was making the to the lowest degree amount of coin inward my career.
I so moved on to Java in addition to enterprise evolution where I enjoyed a pregnant bump.
But the real change for me didn't occur until I started working inward the reckoner scientific discipline Python community.
While this is strictly an anecdotal opinion, I truthfully believe that Python opens to a greater extent than doors than Ruby does, especially from a scientific standpoint.
My prediction is that given the ascent of Python equally non only a general-purpose programming linguistic communication but also equally a scientific programming language, we'll shortly run across Python remove hold over Ruby inward price of higher salaries.
#5. Python Security.
Five months agone a gym buddy of mine introduced me to his son, Sean.
Sean had exactly graduated from high schoolhouse in addition to was heading off to the University of Chicago come upwards the autumn semester.
Curious nearly his major, I asked Sean what he was planning on studying.
His response?
Cyber security.
It's a bully land to live inward in addition to there's lots of coin to live made.
Think nearly it — existence involved inward cyber safety has many parallels to operating a draw concern designed around morgues in addition to funeral homes.
It may live macabre, but people volition locomote along to die; there's no risk of funeral habitation businesses stagnating unless nosotros magically detect the elixir of life.
Similarly, in that location volition no shortage of cyber attacks. There's fifty-fifty speculation that the side past times side World War volition live won in addition to lost inward cyberspace rather than through the actions of troops on the ground.
Sean told me nearly his high school's programming classes, how he took ii years of Java, object oriented programming, in addition to software design.
While I was impressed that his preparation even had two years' worth of programming courses, I was a piddling saddened to hear they weren't educational activity whatsoever scripting languages.
Over Christmas suspension I caught upwards amongst Sean in addition to asked him how he was enjoying the University of Chicago.
He was doing great.
He was rocking all his reckoner scientific discipline classes.
He joined the school's cyber safety team…
…and he fifty-fifty learned Python along the way.
Grinning, because I already knew the answer, I asked him: "What made y'all larn Python?"
He replied back, "It's exactly so easy, man! You tin create literally anything with Python. When I starting fourth dimension joined the cyber safety team, I was writing penetration testers amongst Java. It took me hours to code what my peers were doing inward minutes."
Sean had realized the powerfulness of scripting languages.
While y'all may sacrifice some execution speed, y'all gain to a greater extent than flexibility, facility inward writing code, in addition to — best of all — the powerfulness to experiment faster.
My see is that Python includes the best of all these worlds. If y'all haven't tried it yet, y'all genuinely should.
#6. Python is the time to come of AI in addition to Machine Learning.
The Python programming linguistic communication is currently fueling scientific programming, but this wasn't ever the case.
For years academic scholars in addition to individual researchers were using the MATLAB linguistic communication for scientific research.
That all started to alter amongst the release of Python numerical computation engines such as NumPy and SciPy, allowing complex calculations to live done past times a unmarried "import" controversy followed past times a component call.
Slowly but surely, Python started to remove hold over equally the preferred linguistic communication for reckoner scientific discipline research.
In fact, I wrote all of the code used to get together results for my Ph.D. dissertation inward Python.
By the fourth dimension I graduated amongst my bachelor's degree, fifty-fifty non-computer scientific discipline students had started to learn themselves Python in addition to usage it to powerfulness their ain research. Computational biological scientific discipline is a bully illustration of where you'll run across non-computer scientists leveraging Python.
These days I spend much more fourth dimension writing scientific Python code than I create anything else, so I'm clearly biased, but I tin state y'all this:
Python is the time to come of Artificial Intelligence.
Given the flexibility of the language, its speed, in addition to the machine learning functionality delivered past times libraries such as scikit-learn, Keras, and TensorFlow, we'll locomote along to run across Python dominate the machine learning landscape.
There is no uncertainty inward my mind: if y'all are even remotely interested in doing reckoner scientific discipline research, you should larn Python.
#7. Diversity in addition to Flexibility.
Over this past times summertime I laid upwards my starting fourth dimension 401k.
I chatted amongst my fiscal advisor on a issue of occasions, discussing various investment vehicles in addition to strategies, in addition to dissimilar methods to allocate my portfolio.
No thing how the conversation started, it ever ended upwards inward the same place:
Managing my risk, in addition to to a greater extent than specifically, how to minimize it.
In the investment world, this exactly boils downwards to "not putting all your eggs inward the same basket." If y'all driblet your basket, y'all cleft all your eggs.
Your goal, therefore, is diversification: position a chunk of your coin into large companionship stocks, some other (smaller) chunk into small/mid-size companionship stocks, so some other chunk into bonds, in addition to locomote whatsoever residual into unusual markets, precious metals, etc.
Makes sense, right?
If y'all put all your coin into stocks in addition to the marketplace crashes in 1 trial to a greater extent than similar inward 2008, your retirement portfolio would live exclusively crushed. By diversifying, y'all minimize your risk.
Believe it or not, the programming footing isn't so different.
Over the past times decade, it's locomote increasingly valuable to remove hold a programming specialization, but y'all remove hold to live careful non to pigeonhole yourself equally "that Java guy" or "that C++ guy."
While it's extremely of import to remove hold a niche in addition to speciality, you also demand to brand yourself marketable.
For example, I'm a programmer, in addition to I specialize in reckoner vision in addition to machine learning.
However, I'm not just a "Python guy" or an "OpenCV guy."
I've used Java to create large-scale enterprise in addition to authorities applications.
I've utilized C++ to piece of work on real-time applications.
I've fifty-fifty custom built PHP applications to scale to hundreds of thousands of users.
My betoken is this: my resume and curriculum vitae are diversified.
I remove hold a niche in addition to know my niche well, but I tin also remove hold on exactly nearly whatsoever other task.
If y'all don't remove hold Python nether your belt, see adding it to your repertoire in addition to increasing your diversification in addition to marketability equally a programmer.
What now?
I'll live dorsum side past times side calendar month to reply that enquiry in addition to supply my favorite resources for learning the Python programming language.
See y'all then!
Adrian Rosebrock
Adrian blogs nearly reckoner vision, deep learning, in addition to Python over at PyImageSearch.com. He is currently running a Kickstarter crusade to fund his novel book, Deep Learning for Computer Vision amongst Python. To larn more, exactly click here.
