Python
“Our strongest weapon in the world of technology” that’s a bold statement, let’s break it down.
What is python?
Python is a high-level programming language that has a massive field of application despite its simplicity and user-friendliness. One can say that the primary focus of Python is to achieve all sorts of tasks in the easiest of ways. Whether you have already used python or are hearing its name for the first time, I’m sure I’ll have something new to tell you.
Python can be used for machine learning, artificial intelligence, data visualization and analytics, web and software AND game development, and EVEN design. SO MANY APPLICATIONS. But hold on! we don’t have to rush too fast with them, let’s start slow.
So what exactly is Python?
Python is a high-level and general-purpose programming language which means that it can be used for ALL purposes: easy and difficult. It is user-friendly for the simple reason that it focuses more on logic than other complicated aspects like the hardware (this is what has given it the title of HIGH-LEVEL LANGUAGE). It also focuses on the data provided and is hence called object-oriented programming language (OOP).
Why should you start learning python RIGHT AWAY?
Python has a massive and I mean MASSIVE scope in a majority of the industries out there. Allow me to simplify these for you:
- EASY
Python is very easy to use and I just can’t stop emphasizing it. When you’re programming, you’re interacting with the computer and commanding it, this can be complex because the computer does not understand the human languages we know and you shouldn’t be surprised when I say that every programming language is difficult to read and understand at first, however, python reduces this difficulty by a significant amount. Read the following python code:
you can easily make out that the computer is being asked to print the phrase “hello world” but what’re those other punctuation marks? they’re called the syntax. The syntax is the language (text and punctuations) we incorporate in our code so that the computer can understand it.
2. USER-FRIENDLY:
I believe you must have figured out from the previous paragraph that python is easy to learn and understand. Python is friendly to the user, you won’t have to learn a long chain of irrelevant punctuation marks, why? python has replaced a majority of the punctuation marks with indentation. Indentation, in simple words, is the blank space we leave using the space bar on our keyboards (you’ll understand it better when you start learning python).
3. COMMUNITY:
Python has an ever-growing and relatively active community of users and learners. The simple reason behind its growth is that more people are learning to use it every single day and they all help their fellow learners. So you won’t have to worry about having any support and help when you start learning, Python community will always have your back.
4. VERSATILITY:
Another glamorous feature of python is its ability to fit into all sorts of requirements of the user. Python can and will help you achieve a substantial amount of your tasks whether it’s as simple as editing an excel sheet or as complicated as making a chatbot. Now you know another reason why the python community is ever-growing: because people from all backgrounds use it.
5. LIBRARIES:
You might be wondering how can python be user-friendly and versatile at the same time? the answer is a library. A library is a collection of various functions that are placed under a common category, you can use these functions to perform various tasks, each library can be used in a particular field and python has more than two libraries for every field. But you don’t need to learn ALL OF THEM, you only have to UNDERSTAND the ones you will be using and since they’re freely available, you can refer to them whenever required.
6. DEMAND:
Python has replaced all the other languages in numerous fields. Not only tech companies but also some finance companies need python programmers. Even the greatest tech companies like Google and Facebook have a high demand for python programmers. This also means that if you develop a strong foundation in Python, you won’t have to worry about job opportunities. Amazing, isn’t it?
7. RESOURCES:
If you’re a beginner and are just getting started with python, you’ll be amazed to know that there are OVER HUNDREDS OF FREE COURSES on the internet and even the paid courses won’t cost you a lot. The official website of Python itself has uploaded documentations of the language so you have the most reliable source for learning. Despite there being so many courses, people often end up confused and overwhelmed, they just don’t know where to find a reliable and trusted source or even if they do, they have trouble staying on track; here’s where the paid courses have the last laugh, having a personal mentor is what many young learners prefer so they receive the right guidance.
If you’re wondering how long does it take to learn python, here you go:
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN PYTHON?
There’s no answer to this question. A lot of people believe it can take you about 3 months to get familiar with the basics but this period can go up to 6–8 months. It depends on your learning speed, ability to retain, and the resources you choose.
WHERE CAN I USE PYTHON LANGUAGE?
Glad you asked.
- WEB DEVELOPMENT:
Python is considered the best tool for web development because it not only provides you with sufficient libraries for web development but also frameworks. A framework is a collection of packages and each package has various functions, you can use a framework to develop the web applications or services and design with great ease and even save a lot of time with the readily available functions.
2. GAME DEVELOPMENT:
Python might not be the best game developing tool out there but it certainly is an easy-to-use tool if you’re interested in creating games of your own. Python has a library for EVERYTHING and ANYTHING, this includes game development too. If not for building the game, then you can use python for scripting the game engine so basically, python DOES fit everywhere.
3. DATA ANALYSIS:
This tool is widely used for data science. You must know that Data scientist jobs are the most in-demand jobs among all other python related professions. Python has innumerable libraries that can be used to perform scientific and mathematic tasks. The data analysts perform these tasks on complex data sets to break them down and understand patterns and important information.
4. DATA VISUALISATION:
This won’t take too long to understand, after analyzing the data, you would want to categorize it visually, in essence, represent it in the form of charts and graphs, and this is where data visualization comes in with its horde of unique libraries.
5. MACHINE LEARNING:
The term itself tells us that machine learning involves understanding the working of the software. It is used to study and develop algorithms that can improve their accuracy and efficiency with experience and the use of data. Put simply, a machine is taught how to perform certain tasks and make predictions based on the data set given to it.
6. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE:
Artificial intelligence is the ability of a computer or system to perform under the control of another computer, the tasks performed by this computer are usually the day-to-day tasks performed by humans. So artificial intelligence can be understood as the training of a computer to work as a human. Python again tops the list of the best programming languages that can be used for artificial intelligence.
7. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT:
All of the python libraries and their applications mentioned above can be compiled into a single broad term of software development. Software development is the development of web and desktop applications that can perform all sorts of tasks. Python software developers top the list of highly demanding python professionals. Python’s simplicity makes a field as complex and vast as software development fun to learn.
Before ending this section, I would like to mention that python can also be used for automation, which is the process of typing programs around certain data such that an action can be performed automatically without any human action (this is how you receive welcome emails as soon as you sign in on a website, no human’s typing an email and sending it out every time a new user joins).
WHAT JOBS CAN I APPLY FOR IF I KNOW PYTHON?
You can apply for jobs such as:
- Web Developer
- Software Developer
- Data Analyst
- Data Scientist
- Machine-Learning Engineer
- Product Manager
- Artificial Intelligence
Isn’t that a lot of opportunities, let me tell you that they’re only a fraction of all the opportunities out there! Just get started with your field of interest and the opportunities will keep flowing in as your skill set expands.
FROM WHERE can I learn Python?
You can checkout the free online courses offered by some websites such as freeCodeCamp, Codecademy, Google Digital Garage, Udemy, and SoloLearn.
If you prefer YouTube courses, then you can check out freeCodeCamp’s YouTube channel or Programming with Mosh.
CONCLUSION
I hope this entire blog convinced you to believe that Python IS and WILL continue to be the best programming language and you MUST start learning it RIGHT NOW.
Initially, you might find it difficult to get going and self-learning is often overwhelming but if you stay in touch with a professional who can guide you and constantly help you to improve at every stage, you are unstoppable.
Lastly, I would genuinely appreciate your feedbacks and suggestions on this blog, in the comments section below! If you also have a few key points that i missed out in this blog, do drop them in the comments section!
