What are the Benefits and Limitations of Using Python

by PRAKASH UPRETI SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER/ CONTENT

Python is considered easy to learn and run almost anywhere. It is useful for a number of applications, including education, data analytics, and web development. Some of the biggest companies in the world rely on Python extensively, including Instagram and Google.

It is a dynamic, object-oriented (OO) programming language comparable to the likes of Microsoft .NET based languages or Java, as a general purpose substrate for several software development kinds. It provides strong support for integration with several technologies and higher programming productivity across the development life cycle. It is particularly suited for large and complex projects with changing requirements.

Python is also one of the fastest-growing open source programming languages and is used in mission-critical applications for the largest stock exchange in the world. It also forms the base for various high-end publication websites, runs on several million cell phones and is used across industries such as air traffic control, feature-length movie animation, and shipbuilding.

Let’s start on a positive note and discuss the advantages of this prolific programming language.

Pros of Using Python

#1. Ease of use and read

Most Python programmers would agree that the biggest advantage of Python is that it is easy to pick up. Ease of use and easy readability are more than just a convenience. It can also benefit the users of your program. Easy usability helps you think more clearly when you write programs, and for others who have to enhance or maintain the program.

Experts and beginners can easily understand the code and you can quickly become productive with this language since it has fewer ‘dialects’ than other popular languages like Perl. Since its source code resembles the pseudo code, it is also simple to learn. As soon as you start learning, you can start coding effectively almost immediately.

Overall, it takes less effort to write a program in Python than it would be using other languages like Java or C++. This is also rather popular among academia, resulting in a large talent pool. It is considered a very productive way of writing code, and some of this comes from its readability and simple syntax. Some come from its well-designed and rich inbuilt capabilities and standard library, and the availability of several third-party open source modules and libraries.

Since it is easy to understand, it is also easy to maintain. The language is also dynamically flexible and typed, with code that is not as verbose as other languages. But this dynamic typing could also play out as a disadvantage, which we will discuss later.

#2. Straightforward and speedy

The Python community offers fast effective support to users, and hundreds of thousands of developers work hard to find and fix bugs and develop new patches and enhancements to the language. The also offers fast feedback in many ways. For one, programmers can skip various tasks that would have to be done in other languages. This brings down the time and cost of each program and the maintenance required for the program. Python also permits fast adaptation of code. The language can be termed as ready-to-run, requiring just simple code to be executed. Playing around and testing your code becomes much simpler with the language, which also offers a bottom-up development style to easily construct your application by testing key functions in the interpreter before you start writing top-level code.

The interpreter is easily extensible, allowing you to embed C code with a simple compiled extension module. Python motivates program reusability too with packages and modules. A number of modules are already available with the standard library, essential for Python distribution. You can share the functionality between different programs by breaking them into several modules.

The language can run on multiple systems but retains its similar interface, and its design does not change by a lot with each operating system since it is written in portable ANSI C. This means you can easily write Python on a Mac, test it on a Linux system and upload to a Windows computer.

#3. Usability with IoT

The Internet of Things or IoT has opened up huge opportunities, and Python can play a key role in you utilizing these opportunities. The language is becoming a popular choice for IoT, with new platforms like the Raspberry Pi being based on it. The documentation for Raspberry P states that the language is easy to use and power.

#4. Asynchronous coding

Python has proven to be quite effective for writing asynchronous code, which utilizes a single event loop for doing work in small units rather than writing up uses. This is because it is easier to write as well as maintain without any confusing research contention or deadlocks or other issues. These generators are very useful for interleaving running several processing loops.