Python has been popular for decades. But, by the early 2010s, it was booming and had surpassed C, C#, Java, and JavaScript in popularity. But is Python safe for now? Will it eventually be replaced by other languages and why?
There is no set time when Python will be out of use. Instead, I'll examine the current virtues of Python and the weak points that could cause it to fade in popularity in the future. Python is growing fast, and this is reflected in the Stack Overflow trends. Given that Stack Overflow is one of the largest communities on the Internet, this is a good indication of language popularity.
While R is starting to lose momentum, Python’s growth seems unstoppable. StackOverflow has over 4 million questions on the site, of which 14% are tagged “python” and this number is rising. There are several reasons for this change in popularity. If you're coding in Python and you run into an issue, chances are high that someone has already encountered it and written a helpful solution. Simply Google your problem and find out whether there's a solution out there.
It's beginner-friendly and can be used by amateurs and professionals alike. Python has been around for decades, giving programmers plenty of time to make brilliant tutorials and curricula. However, what sets Python apart from other languages is that the syntax is very human-readable. For beginners, there’s no need to specify the data type. You can simply declare a variable and Python will know if it’s an integer, a float, or something else, based on the context. This is a huge advantage for newcomers because you won't have to worry about making a mistake. If you've ever programmed in C++, you know how frustrating it is when your program doesn't compile because you swapped a float for an integer. Python code is designed from the ground up to be easy for programmers to read, write and edit. It’s so easy to understand in fact, that even green developers can learn it quickly. So, if you’ve ever had to read Python and C++ side-by-side, you’ll know how readable Python really is.
From what you've learned about Python so far, you may have guessed that it will be a leading programming language for many years to come – but it does have weaknesses. Let's take a look at the most significant flaws, one by one and see whether these are major problems or not.
There's a saying that Python is slow. And this is true. On average, 2−10 times slower than other languages when it comes to completing tasks. The reason for this is it's a dynamically typed language. In other words, you don't need to type your variables data types like in other languages. This means the program needs to reserve enough memory space for each variable it works with. Lots of memory needs more computing time.
Python originally had a dynamically scoped variable. This basically means that to evaluate an expression, a compiler first searches the current block and then successively all the calling functions. Dynamic scoping sounds great on paper because it means one definition is good for any context. But the problem is, every expression needs to be tested in every possible context — which takes a lot of time and isn't much fun. That's why most modern programming languages use static scoping.
Code written in Python isn't compiled first and then executed. Rather, the code compiles with every execution of the script, which means any coding error manifests within the runtime. This leads to poor performance and time consumption, not to mention a lot of testing. Testing can be tricky- a LOT of testing. Beginners may have an easier time with the debugging process because it can teach them a lot. But for seasoned developers, adding in debugging to a complex program in Python is serious business. The performance drop is the number one factor that sets a timestamp on Python.
We are seeing a lack of demand for Python-related jobs and courses in the future, with JavaScript literacy being on the rise. There are a few new programming languages on the market:
At this point, it's hard to say which, if any, language will replace Python. It's possible that it might be Rust, Go, Julia, or a potential new language in the future. But because of inherent performance issues in the design of Python, one will inevitably overtake its spot.
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