Anup Mohan

Why Python?

· 2 min read

Do you generate repetitive reports? Or do you do other repetitive tasks, like web scraping, downloading data or parsing log files?

Python is powerful, yet simple enough for side projects as well as professional work. It is a practical language for everyday tasks. It is used for system operations, web development, server and administration tools, deployment, scientific modelling, and much more.

Python is also used well beyond the software industry, in animation, film, the apparel business, government and many other fields.

So what makes Python so widely used?

  • It is very easy to learn and use
  • It has a large community
  • It has a large library ecosystem
  • There is a huge range of open-source frameworks and tools
  • It is reliable and efficient

The RedMonk programming language rankings show Python’s popularity growing as more developers pick it over other languages. JavaScript’s popularity has surged over the years, and Python has become one of the most sought-after languages alongside it.

Did you know?

  1. Python is often found in 3D applications such as Maya, Modo and Blender, where it is used to script complex or repetitive tasks.

  2. There is a poem about Python programming, “The Zen of Python”, which you can read by typing import this in the Python REPL:

    >>> import this
The Zen of Python, by Tim Peters

Beautiful is better than ugly.
Explicit is better than implicit.
Simple is better than complex.
...

  3. It is called Python after the comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

  4. According to a 2015 survey in the UK, Python overtook French as the most popular language taught in primary schools.

  5. Functions can return multiple values:

    def min_max(numbers):
    return min(numbers), max(numbers)

low, high = min_max([3, 1, 4, 1, 5])

What you can use Python for

  • Setting up your dev/test environment
  • Parsing log files
  • Reading data from a database
  • Organising your files
  • Monitoring the state of an application
  • System automation
  • Automating repetitive work
  • Playing with the huge range of AI/ML libraries to build something cool

So next time you face a repetitive or complex task, don’t shy away from it. Pick up one of the many online Python tutorials, learn one of the easiest languages around, and with a few lines of basic code you may be able to automate some of these tasks quickly.