Learn Python: 3 Reasons Why

When you're first starting out as a developer, you might ask yourself: "What programming language should I learn first"? While there are many right answers to this question, one programming language that's seen a rapid rise in popularity over the past few years is Python.

First released in 1991, Python is now one of the fundamental components of most data science and machine learning (and AI) applications we see today. It's also adaptable to the web with frameworks like Django or Flask and games.

For those just beginning their developer journey, Python is easy to learn, read, and use – here are 3 reasons why:

1. Rising Popularity – Widely Adopted & Job Availability

None of this would matter if Python was not relatable to the industry. Python is widely used in Data Science, Web Applications or Game Development. Some of the top companies that utilize Python include Google, Facebook, Dropbox, NASA, IBM, EA, 2k Games, to name a few. Companies will use Python for its ease, flexibility, and power. It can solve almost any problem thrown its way. Need a program to run quickly? Python is almost twice as fast as Ruby. Do you need to scale your application for millions of users? Python can be easily expanded to accomplish that. Want to minimize the amount of code you write but maximize value? Python allows you to write less and accomplishes more. Every company has a need for Python.

2. Object-Oriented Programming Language (OOP)

Every developer needs to know about Object-Oriented Programming and it comes built into the Python language. This is the practice of creating objects and data to solve problems. This foundational concept is what Object-Oriented Languages are built on top of. Before Object-Oriented Programming existed, programmers would write lines of code that will run procedurally. This was a top-down approach that would solve one problem at a time but your code base was not flexible. Instead, Object-Oriented Programming came into the picture to allow us to create objects that would be flexible and allow unique actions to trigger different results.

Using classes, understanding inheritance and instantiation are keys to advancing yourself as a young developer. In addition to already being built as an Object-Oriented Language; Python comes built with a host of libraries and modules that further expand its capabilities. These tools will allow you speed up your development cycle causing you to produce better projects, quicker than other languages could.

3. Syntax Simplicity

Given the simplicity of Python's syntax, you won't need to memorize lots of sections code that are included in many different places. This will open up hours of time, for you to focus on more advanced concepts that develop your true programming skills, rather than just your ability to memorize syntax – an important aspect of programming, but not a true measurement of your proficiency.

With less code to memorize, there are fewer mistakes made by a developer. Over the years, Python has evolved to incorporate new ideas and meet new requirements; however, the structure of the language has not changed at all. Those methods and functions you will use today are almost identical to the ones used 10 years ago. This allows you to read across decades of code without adjustment.

The world needs more Python developers and you could not ask for a better language to start off with. Python will speed up your learning curve and get you started on the right path to be a great developer.

This piece was sponsored by Coding Dojo.

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