The Power of Python

Dated: March 19, 2022

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In 2015, developer Al Sweigart published a book called Automate the Boring Stuff with Python. It sold over 285,000 copies, arousing the curiosity of many, promising a solution to the mundane, monotonous daily tasks: Python. Python has been presented as beginner-friendly, straightforward, and easy to understand. It’s no surprise that Python creator Guido van Rossum named his language after “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”, a BBC comedy series from the 1970s.

However, though Python is effortless to use, it’s also incredibly powerful. Its reputation among developers is that of the most powerful of all languages. But just what makes it so effective? What makes the power of Python?

The power to simplify

Python, in its very nature, is simple. With its straightforward syntax, it was created to be a versatile and flexible language, suitable even for beginners. Many have said it reads just like English, which allows novices to understand what is happening within each line of code without strain.

Not only is Python user-friendly, but it’s also the perfect groundwork for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) projects. As a business, this could be an important factor for you in a world in which the full potential of AI and ML is unfolding at a shockingly fast pace. IBM’s Jean Francois Puget named Python the most popular language for AI and ML in a study discussing trend search results on indeed.com. Python can handle large amounts of data and carry out repetitive tasks, which can be especially useful when working with big chunks of information.

So, how can Python’s power of simplicity help your business? Well, let’s look at Instagram, which has now become the biggest Python user in the world. Boasting 500 million users per day, it is a testament to Python’s power and ease of use that an operation on the scale of Instagram would choose it. In an interview with The New Stack, Instagram engineer Hui Ding stated: “Python is user-friendly for engineers — it’s easy to get up to speed and get out the product, allowing the team to concentrate on user-facing features. Python is simple and clean and favors pragmatism. It is a proven technology. And, finally, it’s a really popular language, which makes growing the engineering team easier.”

The takeaway here is that the ability to turn repetitive tasks into easy-to-understand lines of code has many benefits for smaller companies and even for colossal platforms such as Instagram. Python allows:

• A streamlined process
• A user-friendly interface
• A flexible experience
• A proven technology

The power to leverage

By now, you’re probably thinking: “Okay, Python is simple, easy-to-read, and effortless. What’s the catch? Surely simple means limited?” Well, you’d be surprised.

Python’s simplicity also comes with an incredible power to leverage. It’s not only suitable for mundane tasks. With Python, you can go into consolidation and simplification mode, then use that to represent, mimic, and expand on.

Undeniably, the most powerful feature of Python is its meta-programming. Meta-programming is a technique in which computer programs are able to treat other programs as data. A program can be designed to read, generate, analyze, and transform an exterior program. This sounds irresistible to programmers, who, as a result, can minimize the number of lines of code needed to express a solution, therefore reducing the time it takes to develop. It also allows them to handle any new situations with flexibility without having to endure recompilation. If used right, you’ll find there’s huge potential in Python options like:

• Decorators
• Meta-classes
• Dynamic AST (abstract syntax tree)
• Manipulation
• Monkey-patching objects at runtime

In business, leverage is what equips you to succeed. Python can offer leverage to businesses of any scale, and a great example of Python’s power to leverage is its countless APIs.

API stands for Application Programming Interface. Most companies will need to utilize APIs at one point or another of their growth. An API is the part of a server that receives requests and sends responses. APIs allow your customers to perform an action without having to leave your website.

For example, let’s say you would like to offer users the option to booking an appointment on your website, and want a slot in your Google Calendar to be blocked off every time someone does. That’s what an API will be able to do. It can also block off the time slot from your client’s calendar and send a reminder when the day of the appointment comes. Therefore, when choosing the language you want your business to work with, the size of the language’s API library should be an important factor in your decision.

Python has the power to leverage through simplicity. In the time it takes to write a quick line of code, Python can scrape the data from entire websites such as Wikipedia. Python’s API library is not a just representation of the language’s meta-programming potential, though it is still a testament to its simplicity, elegance, and power to leverage. It’s important to note that it is also easy to scrape data from a webpage in raw form thanks to Python and not only through a pre-built API.

With Python, you can reach the maximum potential of data by effortlessly manipulating information. This is also one of the most powerful features of Python: its flexible data structure, combined with its intuitive syntax, renders a fast and efficient data computation. Python’s data model, therefore, makes information easy to work with.

A thriving ecosystem of quality and robust interfaces

Python is a programmer favorite because of its clean and elegant abstraction and data model and its simple syntax combined. This had led to a strong and thriving community of third-party developers and support. Even though Python is an open-source language, which means anyone can use it to code, there’s still a solid community to guide, support, and develop the ecosystem, constantly adding its contributions and libraries.

If you ever encounter a problem with Python, someone competent will likely be able to help you. This means that all Python libraries and frameworks are much more likely to be of quality. Other languages that don’t have such a dedicated community tend to be more hit-or-miss. The Python community is extraordinarily curious, active, and capable. It’s a great medium to discuss and learn about new ideas for your platforms and seek help whenever needed.

While Python has the capabilities required to suit huge organizations such as Instagram, fitting into a large range of complex and specialized needs. It can also accommodate simpler needs. Your small business will be able to utilize one of Python’s efficient and easily implemented solutions to be able to leverage in the most simple and streamlined way. You’ll be able to choose from thousands of third-party modules and libraries for pretty much any task or need you can think of. An added benefit is that you’ll be able to interact with many modern websites and services, thanks to Python’s API library, which is among the biggest of all code languages. All in all, Python has the power to set up your business for success.