At some point, programmers that wish to start a career in web development have to make this choice. The ultimate decision always depends on someone’s tastes and goals, but you are in the right place if you want an objective comparison.
This article presents the main characteristics of these two languages and comparison under different parameters.
An overview of two of the most popular web developing programs
Python is considered the most popular web development language. This may be because it’s more suitable for experimentation rather than production code. Unlike Java, this language is dynamically typed, being easier to use and read than its counterpart.
On the other hand, Java is more complicated to learn but runs faster and is easier to debug. Created in 1995, Java has been developing and has a large supporting community and extensive library. Both languages are object-oriented and were created in the 90s.
The uses of Python
Its philosophy is based on code readability and is the ideal option for beginners. Its large libraries have all the data that programmers need. Let’s say someone decides to create a nice-looking chart or insert a progress bar; Python’s library has the answer to that. Thanks to its readability, this is the perfect option to write down ideas fast and share codes.
The uses of Java
Created by James Gosling, Java meant a huge step forward for web development. Thanks to Java, simple text websites were transformed into modern designs with videos and animation effects.
It runs anywhere and uses Java Virtual Machine to elucidate compiled code. Thanks to its origins, related to Sun Microsystems, Java was the most popular web development language for many years. This consolidated a strong community that’s still available for support. Java also has many libraries with ready-made code for specific purposes.
Java vs. Python: A comparison
In this section, we compare Java and Python under specific parameters:
- Ease of use
- Popularity
- Employment opportunities
- Data science
Java vs. Python: Ease of use
Although Java is user-friendly, nothing compares to Python. When it comes to ease of use, Python wins the round.
Since it was specifically designed for this, Python is simple to learn and logical. The codes are English-based, which makes the language more intuitive. This is so to such an extent that even people with no programming training can use it.
It adapts well to data science projects because it’s easy to organize and scan. Java, on the contrary, is much more complex. Sometimes it takes ten lines of Java code to express the same idea as in two lines of Python.
Java vs. Python: Speed
Java generally runs faster, although this depends on the environment. Python boots up faster, and it works more quickly than Java in some cases. For example, Python is the fastest option when running in massively parallel mode on GPUs.
Yet, Java is made of compiled code. This means that compiling takes less time and memory because the code doesn’t need to be interpreted. Although Python works faster under certain conditions, Java wins this round.
Java vs. Python: Popularity
Popularity is hard to measure, but statistics show that Python is most programmers’ favorite. Some parameters to measure popularity are:
- Number of active users
- Number of users that are willing to change to a certain programming language
- Number of users who say they prefer one option over the other
In 2020, surveys showed that the majority of people showed interest in learning Python. A survey by Stack Overflow indicates that Python is the 4th most used programming language globally with Java right behind on the 5th position.
Java vs. Python: Employment opportunities
Skills in both languages are highly demanded on the market. Web development is the most popular niche in the programming industry. In line with this, both Java and Python are key programming languages for web development.
Python is making great advancements in machine learning. While the AI industry is being developed, there will be plenty of job opportunities for professionals with Python skills. Python is also applied to other sectors like analysts, teachers, and engineers.
Since Java is essential for UX development, this round is a tie.
Java vs. Python: Data science
Data science is a new industry that boomed in 2020 and is expected to grow even more by the end of 2021.
In this parameter, Python is the winner because it’s easy to use and learn. It has a large community of developers and an extensive library. With this information and support, developers can become efficient quickly. Thus, they can work on big data and other data-related projects.
Also, developers can solve complex operations without mastering a programming language. While Java can be used to process big data, it’s not the best option. Java was explicitly built for programming rather than data processing.
Conclusion
Although both are useful, we recommend learning Python first. It’s easy to use and can be applied to web development and other niches.
If you are interested in web development and UX-UI, Java is the perfect option. It provides a wide variety of tools for long-term projects and websites that need constant editing. Regarding speed, Java is generally faster, but Python is better optimized in specific contexts.
Programmers should establish their goals, analyze their options, and choose the most suitable programming language for them.