If you follow my blog regularly then you may be wondering that why am I writing an article to tell people to learn Python? Didn’t I asked you to prefer Java over Python a couple of years ago?
Well, things have changed a lot since then. In 2016, Python replaced Java as the most popular language in colleges and Universities and since then it has never looked back.
Python is growing and growing big time. If you read programming and technology news or blog post then you might have noticed the rise of Python as many popular developer communities including StackOverFlow and CodeAcademy has mentioned the rise of Python as a major programming language.
But, the biggest question is why should a programmer learn Python? Python is growing Ok, that’s great, but it doesn’t mean Java is going down or C++ is declining.
Well, I am a proud Java developer and it is my favorite programming language and always remain, but, that doesn’t stop us learning potential new tools and programming language which will make you a better programmer and Python fits that bill.
For beginners it’s simple, start with Python because it is easy to learn and powerful enough to build a web application and automate boring stuff
Actually, a couple of years back, scripting was the main reason for learning Python and that was also the first and foremost reason I attracted to Python and preferred it over Perl, another popular scripting language of that time.
For experienced programmers or someone who already know Ruby, Java, or JavaScript, learning Python means acquiring a new and powerful tool in your arsenal and I have yet to come up with a programmer who says no to a tool and that’s the right way to look when you learn a new programming language.
As mentioned in the classical Automate the Boring Stuff with Python book, Python gives you the ability to automate trivial stuff, and let you focus on more exciting and useful things.
Automate Boring Stuff with Python — best book for Python lovers
If you are a Java developer you can do that with Groovy as well but Groovy doesn’t offer you what Python in terms of its wide reach in APIs, libraries, frameworks, and domains like Data Science, Machine learning, and Web Development.
Why Programmers Should Learn Python in 2018?
If you are thinking to learn Python but not sure why you should do that then here are 10 reasons which highlight the benefits of learning Python in 2018.
Though, the questions depend upon who is asking that i.e. for a beginner, learning Python makes sense because its simple and main reason for learning Python is simplicity.
Similarly, for an experienced programmer who is looking to go into Data Science and Machine learning, learning Python makes sense because it’s quickly becoming the most used programming language and there are powerful APIs and library available for AI, Data Science, and Machine learning.
Anyway, without any further ado, here are my 10 reasons to learn Python in 2018:
1. Data Science
This is the single, biggest reason why many programmers are learning Python in 2018. I know many of my friends who are bored with their Java programming jobs in Investment banks are learning Python on Udemy to make a career in Data Science due to exciting work and high pay.
But, what makes Python a preferred language for Data Science and Machine Learning? Didn’t R was considered best for that not too long ago? Well, I think the libraries and framework Python offers e.g. PyBrain, NumPy and PyMySQL on AI, DataScience, and Machine learning are one of that reason.
Another reason is diversity, Python experience allows you to do a lot more than R e.g. you can create scripts to automate stuff, go into web development and so much more.
If you are interested in becoming a Data Scientist in 2018 and looking for pointers, I suggest you check out Data Science, Deep Learning, & Machine Learning with Python course on Udemy. I have purchased this course and it’s one of the awesome resources. You can get it in less than $10 sometimes.
2. Machine Learning
This is another reason of why programmers are learning Python in 2018. The growth of machine learning is phenomenal in last a couple of years and it’s rapidly changing everything around us.
Algorithms become sophisticated day by day, the best example is Google’s Search Algorithms, which can now answer what you are expecting. There are Chatbots around to answer your queries and Uber is totally driven by Algorithms.
If you are interested in machine learning, want to do a pet project or just want to play around, Python is the only major programming language which makes it easy.
Though there are machine learning libraries available in Java, you will find more content around Python as developer community is preferring Python over anything else on Data Science and Machine learning.
If you are interested in doing web development with Python, I suggest you to further check Machine Learning A-Z™: Hands-On Python & R In Data Science course on Udemy
3. Web Development
The good old development is another reason for learning Python. It offers so many good libraries and frameworks e.g. Django and Flask which makes web development really easy.
The task which takes hours in PHP can be completed in minutes on Python. Python is also used a lot for web scrapping. Some of the popular websites on the Internet like Reddit is built using Python.
If you are interested in web development using Python I suggest you to join the Python and Django Full Stack Web Developer Bootcamp course by JoshPortilla.
In fact, there is a free Python course on Udemy which will teach you that while teaching Python.
4. Simplicity
This is the single biggest reason for beginners to learn Python. When you first start with programming and coding, you don’t want to start with a programming language which has tough syntax and weird rules.
Python is both readable and simple. It also easier to setup, you don’t need to deal with any classpath problems like Java or compiler issues like C++.
Just install Python and you are done. While installing it will also ask you to add Python in PATH which means you can run Python from anywhere on your machine.
5. Huge Community
You need a community to learn a new technology and friends are your biggest asset when it comes to learning a programming language. You often get stuck with one or other issue and that time you need helping hand.
Thanks to Google, you can find the solution of your any Python related problem in minutes. Communities like StackOverflow also brings many Python experts together to help newcomers.
6. Libraries and Frameworks
One of the similarities between Python and Java is the sheer number of open source libraries, frameworks, and modules available to do whatever you want to do. It makes application development really easy.
Just imagine creating a web application without Spring in Java or Django and Flask in Python. It makes your job simple as you only need to focus on business logic.
Python has numerous libraries for different needs. Django and Flask are two of the most popular for web development and NumPy and SciPy are for Data Science.
In fact, Python has one of the best collection of machine learning and data science libraries like TensorFlow, Scikit-Learn, Keras, Pandas and many more.
If you want to learn more about Python machine learning libraries, I suggest you to join the Python for Data Science and Machine Learning Bootcamp course, one of my favorite.
7. Automation
When I first come to know about Python was due to one of my scripting need. I was working with an application which receives messages over UDP and there was a problem, we were not seeing messages in the log.
I wanted to check if we are receiving any UDP traffic on that box and that port or not but I couldn’t find a handy UNIX command to do that.
One of my friend, who sits next to me was learning Python and he wrote a utility in just 5 minutes to intercept UDP message using one of the Python modules.
Obviously, I was impressed with the time it took for him to write such a tool but that just highlights the power of Python when it comes to writing scripts, tool and automating stuff.
If you seriously want to know how much Python help with automation, my favorite place is the Automate boring stuff with Python book, simply awesome book.
8. Multipurpose
One of the things I like about Python is its Swiss Army knife nature. It’s not tied to just one thing e.g. R which is good on Data Science and Machine learning but nowhere when it comes to web development. Learning Python means you can do many things.
You can create your web applications using Django and Flask, Can do Data Analysis using NumPy, Scipy, Scikit-Learn, and NLTK.
At a bare minimum, you can use Python to write scripts to automate many of your days to day tasks.
9. Jobs and Growth
Python is growing really fast and big time and it makes a lot of sense to learn a growing programming major programming language if you are just starting your programming career.
It not only help you to get a job quickly but also it will also accelerate your career growth. IMHO, for beginners, after simplicity, this should be the most important reason to learn Python
10. Salary
Python developers are one of the highest paid developers, particularly in the Data Science, Machine learning and web development.
On average also, they are very good paying, ranging from 70,000 USD to 150,000 USD depending upon their experience, location, and domain.
If you are interested in learning more about high paying technology jobs, I suggest checking my earlier post about 10 highest paid technology jobs for Software Engineers in 2018.
Useful Resources to Learn Python
If you decide to learn Python in 2018 then here are some of the useful Python books, courses, and tutorials to start your journey in the beautiful world of Python.
- The Complete Python MasterClass
- The Python Bible — Everything You Need to Program in Python
- Python Fundamentals by Pluralsight
- 5 Courses to Learn Data Science and Machine learning
- 10 Free Python Programming EBooks and PDF
- Top 5 Courses to Learn Python in 2018
And if you are still not convinced about learning Python then look at this image, it correctly shows the life of a Python developer:
That’s all about some of the important reasons to learn Python in 2018. As I said, it’s important to know programming and coding in today’s world and if you don’t know coding you are missing something and Python is a great way to start learning to code.
For programmers who already know Java or C++, learning Python not just make you a Polyglot programmer but also gives you a powerful tool in your arsenal to write scripts, create a web application and open door on exciting field of Data Science and Machine Learning.
In short, if you could learn just one programming language in 2018 then make it to Python and to start with, The Complete Python MasterClass is the best course.
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Closing Notes
Thanks, You made it to the end of the article … Good luck with your Python journey! It’s certainly a great decision and pay you a lot in your near future.
I have also shared some resources to learn Python for Data Science, Machine Learning, Web Development, and general Scripting work, so take advantage of that.
If you like this article, then please share with your friends and colleagues, and don’t forget to follow javarevisited on Twitter and javinpaul on Medium!