Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. Everyone loves to use it. Python has a very simple syntax, which makes it a great choice for beginners. That’s why most universities teach Python as an introductory language. However, there are some limitations, including high memory usage. Is it really suitable for newbies? What are the pros and cons of Python for absolute beginners? In this post, you will find all the details.
Table of Contents
What is Python?
Python is a high-level programming language. Developers around the world use it for building dynamic websites and web applications. Also, it is widely used for automating tasks and conducting data analysis.
Python is an open-source language and because of this and the lack of license restrictions you don’t have to spend any money to use it. Also, it is an interactive and user-friendly language. As a result, Python has become massively popular among beginners.
Is Python really suitable for absolute beginners?
Python is very easy to learn. The syntax is very close to regular English language statements. It’s simpler to write Python code than in most other programming languages, including Java and C++. As a result, you don’t have to learn complex variable types. Also, you don’t have to know the use of brackets for grouping code blocks. As an absolute beginner, it’s difficult to find a more suitable alternative than Python. Generally, most people find Python to be the easiest programming language to learn right now.
What are the pros of Python for absolute beginners?
Is Python really easy to learn?
Python is extremely beginner friendly. Reading its code is similar to reading English text. Its syntax is very simple. That’s why it’s very easy for beginners to pick up the language. Generally, people say it won’t take you long to learn Python.
Python allows beginners to focus on programming fundamentals and concepts, rather than the complexity of language structure. Also, it emphasizes good coding practices which helps beginners quickly adopt the mindset of a real-world developer.
Read: A Beginner’s Guide to Python Development Tools
Is it true that Python is highly portable and extensible to other languages?
Unlike C++, you don’t need to change the Python code to run your Python program on different operating systems. Python is platform-agnostic – this means the choice of operating system on which the program runs has no bearing on your Python code. So, you just need to write the program’s code once to run it on macOS, Windows, or Linux. However, you have to make sure not to include system-dependent features.
Also, Python is highly extensible. You can extend it to other languages by using extensions, like Cython for C and Jython for Java. They allow you to extend the functionality of your Python application effortlessly. It comes in handy when you begin to learn other languages and develop cross-platform projects.
Is Python an open-source language?
Python comes with an OSI-approved open-source license. As a result, it is available for free. In a practical sense this means you can download and modify the source code of the Python system itself. You can even create and redistribute your own version of Python without facing any legal issues or having to pay any royalties.
Also, Python supports a huge number of free libraries, like Matplotlib, NumPy, Pandas, etc. They help you to get the job done effortlessly. You don’t have to pay any money to use them. So, you get a cost-effective solution.
What are the cons of Python for absolute beginners?
Is Python slower than the other languages?
Python is an interpreted language. As a result, it executes the code line by line. Each of the lines needs to be explicitly ordered since the language gets interpreted. The process is time-consuming. It often leads to sluggish performance.
Also, Python is a dynamically-typed language. It has to deal with extra tasks while executing the code. As a result, it cannot perform as fast as Java or C. So, it is slower than the other languages.
Does Python have a high memory consumption?
Python is flexible to data types. Its objects come with a huge overhead. They can consume ten times more memory to store the data that you actually need.
Python has a garbage collector to manage all objects in memory. However, it doesn’t return resources to the system immediately after the object becomes unnecessary. Also, the reference associated with it cannot be deleted. As a result, Python programs often run out of memory.
Does Python have an underdeveloped database access layer?
Python is an easy-to-use language. However, there are some limitations with the database access layer. It is not as well-evolved as other solutions such as JDBC and ODBC. In comparison it can seem to be primitive and underdeveloped.
As an absolute beginner in Python, you shouldn’t be too concerned about the limitation with the database access layer. However, as you start to become an advanced programmer, you will be willing to work on large enterprise web applications. In this scenario, you are very likely to go for alternate solutions.
Python for absolute beginners: is it really the best option for those new to software development?
Python is very easy to learn. The syntax is super simple. It won’t take you long for you to pick up the language. Also, it is extensible to other programming languages. Besides, Python is an open-source language. You don’t have to spend a single penny for using it. So, Python is definitely the best option for absolute beginners.