What is Python Used For

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By Vijay Singh Khatri

Using Python

Thank you so much for your warm welcome. I’m looking forward to being part of this incredible team and starting this exciting chapter of my career.

Python is one of the programming languages used for general-purpose programming. As a result, it can be used in developing many applications, and it can also help in machine learning and A.I. development due to Python being a high-level dynamically typed programming language. But the real change in Python came in early 2000, which led to Python being so versatile in terms of its usage. In early 2000 came Python 2.0, which started the use of object-oriented paradigm. This made the programming language ideal for both big scale and small scale projects.

Moreover, Python is said to be an organized programming language that is relatively easy to learn. When we combine Python’s above-written features with its versatility and simple syntax format, we get one of the best programming languages for newcomers in computer science as well as Phytom veterans who have already created some fantastic projects using it. In this article, we will explore the different use cases of Python and how its implementation can help with the below discussed projects.

Industries That Can Take Advantage of Python

Python puts a lot of pressure on making the code readable; that’s why most of the functions are written in plain English keywords. With the better readability of the code, a developer will find the issue in the program in no time and make changes to it with very less effort.

If you look at the implementation of Python, you will find that it is everywhere, and it is present in super small gadgets and embedded in massive computing machines. Also, Python can be found in pretty much every server which lives right now. So in this section, we will be discussing various industries where Python can be of great help and increase the system’s performance.

1. Scientific Computing

Python can work on supercomputers, and several scientists use it for research and computing. There are some particular science-friendly libraries and frameworks such as SciPy, sci-kit-learn, Biopython, graph-tool, and more. In addition to this, we can’t look over the fact that Python is used for parsing data, writing scripts for websites, and other functionalities, which are great for creating new algorithms.

Moreover, with tools such as pandas, and NumPy one can easily navigate through the complex data sets and visualize the data for better understanding. This makes Python an ideal programming language for handling big data sets in general. There is a sudden increase in the data science adaptation in the global business market, so we can surely see some new roles coming in for Python. So keeping it in your toolkit as it is your best option to be the early adapter.

2. Machine Learning

Data science and machine learning might always be combined together when in conversation, but in truth, they are two different technologies, even though machine learning does fall under the sub-category of data science. When you use Python with machine learning, you are going to see how easy it becomes to develop something completely new from scratch. This makes Python an additional line item for Machine learning which is a must to have.

With machine learning, you can experiment with speech recognition, deep learning, and even A.I.; all of these functionalities are being used in various services that we use nowadays. Some of them are Netflix, Amazon.com, Google Assistant, etc. There are specific libraries present in Python which are devoted to machine learning; the standard machine learning libraries are scikit-learn and TensorFlow.

3. Startup Companies

A startup company always looks for a way to do more by spending less, and Python is the perfect programming that can help a startup achieve this goal. For some readers, adding a startup to the list of top industries that can use Python may seem a little odd at first. But bear with us; the tech startups are in love with Python as it is pretty easy to use, and you can find a developer that is versed in Python development in no time. Also, when you are using Python, you don’t have to worry about scalability issues.

Let’s take an example to show you how Python is an excellent programming language for startups. Take an example of Dropbox. It was a small website started by Drew Houston. The primary motivation behind starting Dropbox was to save the files on cloud storage as Drew used to forget his flash drive when he was a student. At the start, he was the sole user of the website, but by the end of 2012, Dropbox had successfully crossed the benchmark of 100 million users. DropBox has achieved this feat through Python as the website stores data using a scalable framework based on Python programming.

4. Fintech

Python was the one that dominated the pack of programming languages that were in great demand for hiring professionals for program and game development. Therefore, if you want to work in Electronic Arts, you might want to start learning Python. But the use of Python doesn’t end there, and even Fintech companies are constantly hunting down Python developers that are up for hire. In the Fintech industry, Python is one of the fastest-growing programming languages. Some of the multinational banks, such as Bank of America, had recently moved all their tech stack from their old legacy code to Python.

Thus, if you are thinking about working in a Fintech company, your first priority should be to learn the Python programming language.

5. Computer Science Learning

There are a number of universities, colleges, and even schools that are using Python as the introductory programming language for computer science students. One of the well-known universities in the world, M.I.T, teaches Python both on campus and in their online classes to students who are enrolled in computer science studies. According to M.I.T., the online version of Python classes has crossed 1.2 million enrollments, and it has become the most popular MOOC in M.I.T. history.

This is a clear depiction of how Python’s popularity is still on the rise. Moreover, Python is also being used as a teaching tool for helping students learn the higher concepts which can be applied to further create complex projects. It is fair to say that Python has become a central pillar in improving computer science education all over the world, and the same is expected from it in the future.

6. Image Processing

This might come as a shocker, but Python is also used for programming computer visioning and image processing. The main objective of the image processing is to apply the transformations which the user sets, and once the transformations are done, the new version of the image can be displayed to the user.

On the other hand, the goal of computer vision is pretty complex as it tries to make the computer interpret what is present in the image and collect the data from it. Navigating on maps, recognizing faces, and recognizing images are all tasks that rely on computer vision. Additionally, Google has launched a cloud vision tool where Python developers can download and use the functionality in their applications.

7. Game Development

Playing a video game will give you some of the most memorable experiences of your life, and if you are playing online, you will also make lasting memories with your friends. Games have become an essential part of our everyday lives, and Python is being used to make games more relevant to the audience and light up the spark in them. There are two main frameworks for developing games in Python, called:

  • pygame: this is one of the most active and updated python packages for creating video games. It allows Python to communicate with S.D.L., a cross-platform and multimedia library. Keep in mind that when using this library with the new Python version, you will surely see lag as it needs to be compiled with each platform.
  • py.glet: This is the framework for newcomers as it is based on OpenGL. Also, this is a pure Python package, which makes it compatible with the latest versions of Python, and there will be no lag or delay when loading it.

Furthermore, there is a turtle module in Python that can be used for creating simple video games using Python. Turtle is a pre-installed Python module that is automatically installed when you install Python in your system. The graphics of Turtle are pretty simple, and it can provide a developer with a clutter-free and straightforward user interface.

8. Web Development

It would be a mistake if we don’t talk about how Python can be used in web development; we were keeping the web development for the last because Python’s majority of the use cases belongs to this industry. The code which is written for the user to interact with the website is called the front-end. But, you are not going to find the implementation of Python in the front end, as it works behind the scenes.

Python is responsible for all the functionality a viewer sees on the front end of the application. When a user requests data access, Python provides the means to communicate with the necessary databases. Python frameworks commonly used for web development include Django, Flask, Pyramid, and Web2y.

These were some of the real-world examples of industries where Python can be of great help to both developer and the business owner.

What Are The Things To Keep In Mind When Learning Python?

These are some of the most important concepts that a Python learner needs to know before starting their learning journey.

1. Python & Its Versions

This is not a technical feature, but it is still quite crucial for developers. It is essential for a developer to know the version of Python which they are using. Python version numbers are named A.B.C…After this, the naming system has three letters used to represent the essential updates and patches that have taken place in the Python language. As a result, if you are going from Python 2.3.1 to 2.6.4, there are few changes in the language related to the bugs and other issues of the language.

Python’s latest release comes with backward compatibility, so if you do download the newest version, you will be able to access all the features of the previous versions along with the new ones.

2. Learn The Syntax

You cannot skip this, and you need to grasp the syntax of the programming language you want to learn. The syntax is the first thing you will learn when learning Python, as it allows you to dive deeper and understand the working Python in a much better way. We know this isn’t something, and you likely want to spend the minimum amount of time on this part. One of the methods to make the learning of syntax less tiresome is by learning it by working on a project. The quicker you start working on a project, the faster you will be able to understand the syntax of the language.

Moreover, learn Python 3 syntax, not Python 2, as it is the older version of Python syntax, and when developing new projects using other resources as well, the older version of Python syntax will not work due to compatibility issues.

3. Practice On Your Own

This might seem obvious, but a lot of students forget this point and only type in the code when the professor asks them to or give them a project. There are a number of websites where you can learn the programming language and solve code-based questions at your own pace. To learn Python, you should work on different projects and create something of your own, and it could be a game, a web application, or a website. Whatever you think will help you learn Python faster. Besides this, you need to work on Python projects on your own because it will give you a better sense of debugging the issues which arise in your code.

Start with small projects and finish them to gain your confidence in the programming language. If you start with a big project, you will take extra time to complete it, which can cause boredom after some time. Likewise, do collaborate with other learners and see what they are doing and how they are using Python in their project. If you are unable to find any good ideas for a Python project on your own, Check online. There you will see tons of ideas just lying there waiting to be made into a live working project. Lastly, when you create a program using the language which you are learning, you can use it in your resume and show your skillset to the employer.

Wrapping Up

These were some of the industries and projects where Python is being used right now as you read this article. There is no doubt Python is one of the best programming languages for a beginner due to its easy-to-understand syntax, versatility, and huge implementation market. If you are new to computer science and looking to make a career in programming applications and websites then learning Python needs to be on the list of your priorities. The sooner you learn, the better it will be for you, as it will open you to new opportunities in the field of computer science and development.

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