Programming languages are a fundamental element of computer science; they are essential tools in a programmer’s toolbox and are used in virtually every programming aspect. Choosing between programming languages, let alone the most popular ones, is often perplexing. Python programming language and Java programming language have been vying for the top spot on the list of the most popular programming languages, with Python making incredible strides in recent years and Java retaining its position.

Java

Java is a statically typed general-purpose programming language that is concurrent and object-oriented. With the assistance of the Java Virtual Machine, Java was intended to be a WORA (write once, run everywhere) language; it was designed to operate on any platform and with the fewest feasible dependencies (JVM).

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Python

Python is a general-purpose dynamically typed programming language. Python’s early development started in a Dutch research facility. The initial aim was to develop a higher-level language capable of bridging the divide between C and the shell. The syntax was inspired by several different languages, including Algol68, Pascal, and ABC, designed to be legible and concise.

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Python vs. Java Differences

1. Performance

Languages lack speed; all they have are meanings. If you wish to evaluate performance, you must compare implementations. You may get a thorough comparison of Python vs Java performance on this project called the benchmarks-game, which benchmarks several languages in various applications.

Bear in mind that performance is not just a function of the language’s execution speed; it is also a function of the program’s implementation, and the performance of third-party libraries is often the deciding factor.

2. Popularity

Popularity has always been a contest between these two languages since they have always competed for the top three places with JavaScript. Before the JavaScript revolution, Java was the most popular programming language. When JavaScript was initially released, its creators selected a moniker that sounded like Java to acquire popularity.

Java was the second most widespread language on GitHub, followed by Python, according to GitHub’s Octoverse.

Python was named the fastest-growing programming language in Stack overflow’s 2018 developer survey, beating C# this year and PHP last year. Java is still more popular than Python, with 45% of developers compared to 39% for Python, but the gap is narrowing.

It is fair to assume that both languages are in the same popularity bracket.

Python vs. Java: Advantages/Disadvantages

1. Development of Video Games

Because neither Python nor Java can compete with C++/Cmassive’s ecosystem in that area, game creation is a sector that needs the most incredible speed feasible to offer smooth user experiences. Although Java and Python are not sluggish, they do not give the optimum performance for game development.

While JMonkeyEngine is not as strong as Unreal or Unity, it is a powerful engine that will let you build some great games.

If you want to explore computer graphics from the ground up or create your engine, OpenGL now has Java bindings. Python is not a strong choice for game development on its own. It does support Cocos, Panda3d, Pygame, and a few additional engines/frameworks.

2. Web Development

Both languages are utilized in the creation of backend web applications. Backend web development is a subset of web development focused on developing the software that runs on the server.

Django and Flask are common and popular Python frameworks. Flask is a microweb framework; it provides the fundamental functionality required for web development, such as to request routing, with little overhead. Django is a more feature-rich choice that may assist you in developing a robust backend while maximizing efficiency and security. Django is packed with a robust ORM layer that simplifies interacting with databases and performing various operations on the data.

Spring is perhaps the most well-known backend framework in Java, with a large ecosystem and a sizable community. Spring is used by Orange, Dell, GE, and several other businesses, and although it is not as popular as Django, it is an excellent choice for developing enterprise-level apps.

3. Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning

Python’s syntactic simplicity combined with the fact that it is a full-featured general-purpose programming language made it a popular choice for individuals from many disciplines looking to experiment with machine learning and incorporate the potential of AI into their respective areas. That is why a large portion of artificial intelligence and machine learning work is done in Python, which has a robust ecosystem and libraries.

Java is also a viable choice for machine learning since it is simple to debug and use and is already utilized for large-scale and enterprise-level applications. Several libraries are available in that field, including Weka, Mallet, DeepLearning4, and MOA.

Wrapping up

Java and Python are both competent and popular programming languages, which means that you will not be short of resources once you pick one and begin your adventure. If you are new to programming, it is best to stay with Python since it is straightforward to learn and utilizes an English-like syntax; it is used in a large number of Computer Science beginning courses worldwide. However, if you aim to develop enterprise-level apps and come from a C/C++ background, Java is exceptionally comfortable.

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