Java and Python have been popular programming languages in recent years. However, the popularity of Python is steadily growing over Java. But which language you must choose to develop your code depends on what you will create.
Java is commonly used for developing mobile device applications. However, Python is used for AI, machine learning, data analytics, data visualization, programming applications, and web development. This content will discuss the differences between the programming languages Java and Python.
Content: Java Vs Python
Comparison Chart
| Basis of Comparison | Java | Python |
|---|---|---|
| Typing | Java is a statically typed language. | Python is a dynamically typed language. |
| Length | More lines of code. | Comparatively fewer lines of code for an equivalent Java program. |
| Speed | Java code executes faster. | Python code takes more time for execution as compared to Java. |
| Compilation | Java is compiled language. | Python is an Interpreted language. |
| Learning Curve | Java has a complex learning curve. | Python is an easy language for beginners. |
| Syntax | The curly brackets define the starting and ending of each function or class. | To mark the beginning and end of each code block Python. |
| Readability | Complex | Simple |
| Variable declaration | Variable declaration required | Variable declaration not required |
| Backend Framework | Spring, Blade | Django, Flask |
| Use | Mostly used for mobile and web applications. | Used for AI, Machine learning, Data Science, and IOT |
What is Java Programming?
James Goslin and his team developed the Java programming language at Sun Microsystems in the year 1995. The primary motivation behind the development of Java was a need for a platform-independent language. The language that could be used to develop software that can be embedded into various customer electronic devices like, set-top boxes, radios, remote control, etc.
Seeing the worldwide usage of the Internet, the language was speedily modified for the use of the Internet.
Why do we need Java?
The programmers chose Java over other programming languages due to following reasons:
- As Java has been there for a long time, several learning resources are available for beginners. Learning sources include detailed documentation, comprehensive books, and courses. These learning resources help support Java developers through the learning curve.
- Java provides several inbuilt functions and libraries that prevent developers from writing new code from scratch.
- An active community of developers supports new developers in coding challenges.
- Various automated tools are available for editing, debugging, deployment, and maintenance, which makes Java more powerful.
- Java codes are platform-independent, which means you can run Java programs on any platform – like Windows, Linus, Mac iOS, or Androids.
- Java is a secure programming language for developing web and mobile applications.
Key Concepts of Java Language
Typing
Java is a statically typed language where we have to precisely declare variables before using them in code, and one can not change the variable type. Although there is the scope of type casting from integer to floating point as there is a shallow range between them.
class Java_Code {
public static void main (String[] args)
{
float a = 50.1; // Variable declaration
int b;
b = (int) a; //Type Casting
System.out.println(b);
}
}
// Output
50
Code Readability
For beginners, Java is definitely a challenging programming language. Even to print a simple “Hello World”, you have to first declare a class where you could call the main() function, and then you can write a print statement. So, for beginners’ Java is quite difficult.
public class Java_Code {
public static void main (String[] args)
{
System.out.println(“Hello World”);
}
}
Performance
The performance of Java improves due to its Just-in-time (JIT) compiler that runs as a part of Java virtual machine (JVM). This JIT compiler compiles the byte code to machine code, and the JVM directly calls this compiled code, making its execution faster.
As all the variable types are precisely defined in the Java code, no time is wasted in interpreting the variable types during run time, making Java code faster and more native.
Portability
Java program does not need any compiler to compile it to machine-understandable code as the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) takes care of the entire process. This JVM comes preinstalled on almost all computers and mobile devices. Thus, Java programs are portable and can be run on any platform.
Security
Java is a secure programming language with authentication and access control functionalities, which helps keep Java applications secure. Even it does not support explicit pointers. The Java compiler creates a corresponding class file along with the bytecode for each Java code. JVM tests this class file for malware and viruses during program execution.
Mobile App Development
Java is the best programming language to pick for mobile application development. As Java performs well in the Android environment and along with its own libraries, Android SDK comprises many standard Java libraries which help develop good mobile applications.
Use Cases
Mobile and Web Applications, Enterprise or business applications, and most Android applications are developed using Java.
What is Python Programming?
Guido van Rossum conceptualized Python as a programming language in the late 1980s. Python is easy to learn, and it is effectively used to integrate systems. It has a simple syntax, because of which it achieves high-level readability. As it supports modules and packages, python code becomes highly reusable.
Python code does not have to go through the compilation step. Thus, its edit-test debug cycle is very fast. But the interpretation of the program at run time is slower because of its dynamic semantics.
Why Do We Need Python?
Python mostly focuses on software quality. So, the Pythons codes are highly readable even by the new coders who didn’t write them. Thus, it makes the Python code reusable and maintainable.
Being a dynamically typed language, the Python code length is usually one-third to one-fifth the size of Java code. This ultimately boosts the developer’s productivity.
- Python programs are portable and can be run on any platform without any change.
- Python has a huge library that supports all the tasks involved in application-level programming.
- Python code can easily communicate with the other parts of the applications. It can easily invoke libraries of other languages like c and C++ and can integrate with the components developed in Java or .Net.
Key Concepts of Python Language
Typing
Python is dynamically typed, so you do not have to declare the variable before using it, as the interpreter interprets it during runtime. The developer is free to change the type of variable when required. For example, a string variable can be used as an integer variable.
>>>name = “Programmer” >>>count = 20
But dynamic typing also has the disadvantage of slow processing. As the types of variables are not mentioned in the code, the interpreter interprets the types of variables during runtime, which ultimately makes the process slow.
Code Readability & Formatting
In Python, we have to use indentation to separate the block of code. Dynamic typing in Python leads to fewer lines of code and also makes the code easily readable, even by beginners who have yet to write that code. If you want to print “Hello World”, only one line code is required, as shown below.
print(“Hello World”)
Performance
Python is a dynamically typed language that takes more of the processor’s time for interpretation. Though the phyton produces fewer lines of code than other programming languages, it takes more time to interpret at run time as it has to interpret the variable type during run time.
Portability
Like Java, Python programs are also portable. But to run a Python program, we need an explicit compiler that can convert the Python program into the code that the particular operating system understands.
Security
Python is considered to be a secure language for programming. But, if compared with Java, it comes out to be less secure.
Mobile Development
Python language is usually not used to develop mobile apps as it consumes memory and runtime.
Use cases
- Artificial Intelligence Web development, mostly for the backend part of the application.
- YouTube is mostly written in Python
Key Differences Between Java and Python
- Java is a statically typed language where you must declare the variables before using them in the code. On the other hand, Python is a dynamically typed language, as you don’t need to declare the variables you are using in the code.
- Java code produces more lines of code, whereas equivalent Python code produces fewer lines of code.
- Java code executes faster. However, the equivalent Python code executes slower due to the interpretation at run time.
- Java is compiled language as it compiles the byte code into machine code, and JVM directly invokes this machine code. On the contrary, Python is considered to be an interpreted language.
- Though several learning sources are available, Java has a complex learning curve. But as Python has simple syntax and formatting learning curve of Python is steady.
- The syntax and formatting of Java and Python are very different. For example, in Java starting and ending of each function or a class is defined by curly brackets, whereas, in Python, the beginning and end of each code block are marked by an indentation.
- Java code’s readability is simple, whereas Python code’s readability is simple.
- In Java, you need to declare variables before use, whereas in Python, you don’t need to declare variables before use.
- The backend framework of Java includes Spring and Blade, and the backend framework of Python includes Django and Flask.
- Java language is popularly used for mobile and web applications. On the contrary, Python language is used for AI, machine learning, Data Science and IOT.
Conclusion
Well, Python and Java both have their own advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, Python is a super easy language with a large collection library and high-level readability. On the other hand, Java is highly capable of developing mobile applications. Usage of both totally depends on the requirement of the user.
Leave a Reply