Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language designed to be easy to read and simple to implement. It focuses on code readability with the use of indentation instead of delimiters, like curly brackets and semicolons. 

Guido Van Rossum, in 1991, first introduced Python 0.9.0 to the world, and since then, it has been gaining momentum in the programming world. The primary purpose of designing the Python language was to save development time. Today, Python stands at the first position in the list of popular programming languages, according to the TIOBE Index of the top programming languages as of August 2022.

Another reason, along with the simple syntax, for Python’s popularity, is its standard library, which consists of a plethora of modules and packages. From simple programming to machine learning and data science, Python’s standard library makes everything simple and easy. 

Moreover, being open source and free-to-use, Python has a large and active community, which ensures that programmers get help easily rather than being stuck on an issue.

It is the go-to language for modern-day applications, like Data Science, machine learning, and data visualization, because it has a smooth learning curve. In applications like these, the programmers are concerned with the core subject they are working on, not on the language implementation, construction, or efficiency. 

In this article, I will help you get aware of some key advantages of Python. Along with Python benefits, I will introduce you to some significant drawbacks of Python. 

So, let us get started!

Advantages of Python

Before we delve into the core topic, let us first have a glance at the advantages of functions in Python. 

In Python, like in every programming language, a function is a separate block of code that performs a specific task. It runs only when you call that function in your main program and returns data as output. The following are some of the advantages of functions in Python: 

• Improved code readability 
• Reduced duplication of code
• Splitting complex problems or programs into smaller ones 

Now, let us turn to the core topic – The benefits of Python. 

Easy to Learn and Code 

Python is the recommended programming language for beginners. It has a simpler syntax compared to other programming languages and does not have semicolons or curly brackets; the indentation defines the code block. Such lesser complexity of Python lets beginners focus more on the business logic rather than on remembering the syntax, like C, C++, and Java languages. 

Free and Open Source

It is a free and open-source programming language. Open source means its source code is publicly available, and free means it is free to use and share. You can even tweak the source code of Python and share your own version with others. This is useful when businesses need to adapt Python to the specifications of their projects. 

You can download the source code from here. 

Object Oriented Language 

Python supports an object-oriented programming paradigm, which allows the programs to be efficient and maintainable in the long run. It makes use of classes and objects to bind data and functions working on that data together. 

High-Level Language

Python is a high-level programming language which means you can code in Python without worrying about memory management and underlying system architecture. 

Highly Portable

Python code you write in one environment can be executed in any other environment. Suppose you write a Python program in Windows; you can execute the same code on Linux and Mac. Hence, we can say that Python is highly portable. 

Standard Library

Python has a very large standard library that serves a wide range of purposes, from web development to machine learning. This makes development pretty fast and easy because you need not have to write the code from scratch. It is especially suitable for applications where you need not worry about the underlying language concepts, like machine learning.

Dynamically Typed Language 

Python is a language with dynamic typing. This means that the data type of a variable does not need to be specified at the time of declaration. The Python interpreter automatically considers the data type of variables based on their values at runtime. Consequently, you no longer need to worry about that.

Support for Other Languages

You can embed the code you write in Python in other programming languages, like C, C++, and Java, using the Cython and Jython libraries. Doing this facilitates cross-platform development. This benefit and feature of Python programming language comes in handy to accomplish tasks that are not possible with only Python. 

Memory Management

Python comes with a built-in memory manager where it manages and maintains all Python objects and data structures stored in a private heap. This built-in memory management functionality of Python lets it stand out from its counterparts. 

Asynchronous Coding

When you wish to complete a certain job, asynchronous coding does in a single event loop in smaller intervals. Since Python code is simple to write and maintain, it comes in handy for writing asynchronous code. 

Interpreted Language 

Being an interpreted language, the Python interpreter executes a Python program line by line. If an error occurs at any line, the interpreter stops executing the further program until your fix it. So, instead of having a bunch of errors at a time, Python provides them each at a time. 

This was an extensive list of Python benefits. Now, let us throw light on the other side of a coin, i.e., the disadvantages of Python.

Disadvantages of Python

Along with the benefits of using Python, you will also experience some bad sides of Python. The major downsides of Python include:

Slow Execution Speed 

Python is an interpreted and dynamically-typed language. This is responsible for the slow execution speed of programs. Python is not suitable for applications where speed is a priority.

Large Memory Footprint

Python uses more memory space to provide the simplicity of usage. It is not suitable for applications where memory optimization is important.

Database Access

Python is not good in database access and has certain limitations because it is considered an insecure language. In addition, the database access layer of Python is not well developed like other technologies, such as JDBC and ODBC. Therefore, it is not suitable for large enterprise applications where database access is very important.

Runtime Errors

Since Python is a dynamically-typed language, the errors only turn up at the runtime. A variable containing one type of variable can hold another type of variable in the future. This can result in runtime errors.

Difficult To Test

Because it is an interpreted language, you may find it pretty challenging to test Python code. All the errors and bugs head up at the runtime, which becomes difficult to handle. 

Not Ideal for Game and Mobile Development

Due to Python’s slow speed and large memory consumption, it is not an ideal language for developing games and mobile applications. Instead, Python is best suited for web development and desktop application development. 

What is Python Used For?

Now that you are very well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of Python, you might wonder what its applications are or what applications we can develop using Python. Since it is a versatile and general-purpose language, Python is used for developing the following applications:

• Desktop Applications
• Mobile Applications
• Web and cloud-based Applications
• Web frameworks
• Data Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Machine Learning and Deep Learning
• Business and finance applications
• Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality
• Web Scraping
• DevOps
• Operating systems
• Programming languages

The following is the list of applications entirely developed in Python that people use widely in today’s era: 

• Dropbox
• Spotify
• Pinterest
• Uber
• Quora
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Instagram
• Netflix
• Amazon

Advantages Of Python Conclusion

This concludes our discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of Python. Python is a general-purpose, interpreted, high-level programming language. Also, it is a beginner-friendly language due to its straightforward and easy-to-grasp syntax. Despite its disadvantages, Python is one of the most preferred languages for web and desktop application development. Also, it plays a crucial role in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Sameeksha Medewar

Sameeksha is a freelance content writer for more than half and a year. She has a hunger to explore and learn new things. She possesses a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.