[Go to site: main page, start]
Scribd
Upload
48 views8 pages

Python vs Java: Key Differences Explained

Python has become more popular than Java for experimentation due to its readability and large libraries, while Java remains better for production systems due to its performance and error checking. The key differences are that Python is dynamically typed and interpreted, while Java is statically typed and compiled. This makes Java faster but more verbose, while Python is easier to read and use but slower. Both languages are widely used and have large communities.

Uploaded by

Hua Hidari Yang
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
48 views8 pages

Python vs Java: Key Differences Explained

Python has become more popular than Java for experimentation due to its readability and large libraries, while Java remains better for production systems due to its performance and error checking. The key differences are that Python is dynamically typed and interpreted, while Java is statically typed and compiled. This makes Java faster but more verbose, while Python is easier to read and use but slower. Both languages are widely used and have large communities.

Uploaded by

Hua Hidari Yang
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Python vs Java: What’s The

Difference?
Python has become more popular than Java. Google Trends shows
Python’s fame rose above Java in 2017:

(Source)

The trend is likely caused because of Python’s great use for


experimentation, and Java’s better use for production code.
There is more experimentation than production code.
Java is a statically typed and compiled language, and Python
is a dynamically typed and interpreted language. This single
difference makes Java faster at runtime and easier to debug,
but Python is easier to use and easier to read.

Python has gained popularity, in large part, due to its


communicativity; people just grasp it easier. With it, the
libraries for Python are immense, so a new programmer will not
have to start from scratch. Java is old and still widely used,
so it also has a lot of libraries and a community for support.

Now, let’s take a look at these in depth, including some code


examples to illustrate the differences between Python and
Java.

Python overview
Python was first released in 1991. It is an
interpreted, high-level, general purpose
programming language. It is Object-Oriented.

Designed by Guido van Rossum, Python actually has a design


philosophy centered around code readability. The Python
community will grade each other’s code based on how Pythonic
the code is.

When to use Python


Python’s libraries allow a programmer to get started quickly.
Rarely will they need to start from scratch. If a programmer
wishes to jump into machine learning, there’s a library for
that. If they wish to create a pretty chart, there’s a library
for that. If they wish to have a progress bar shown in their
CLI, there’s a library for that.

Generally, Python is the Lego of the programming languages;


find a box with instructions on how to use it and get to work.
There is little that needs to be started from scratch.
Because of its readability, Python is great for:

1. New programmers
2. Getting ideas down fast
3. Sharing code with others

Java overview
Java is old. Java is a general-purpose programming language
that utilizes classes and, like Python, is object-oriented.

Java was developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems,


released in 1995 as a part of Sun Microsystem’s Java Platform.
Java transformed the web experience from simple text pages to
pages with video and animation.

When to use Java

Java is designed to run anywhere. It uses its Java Virtual


Machine (JVM) to interpret compiled code. The JVM acts as its
own interpreter and error detector.

With its ties to Sun Microsystems, Java was the most widely
used server-side language. Though no longer the case, Java
reigned for a long while and garnered a large community, so it
continues to have a lot of support.

Programming in Java can be easy because Java has many


libraries built on top of it, making it easy to find code
already written for a specific purpose.
Who uses Python & Java?
Python is often used with new programmers or junior developers
entering a data science role. The big machine learning
libraries, TensorFlow and pyTorch, are both written in Python.

Python has excellent data processing libraries with Pandas and


Dask, and good data visualization capabilities with packages
such as Matplotlib and Seaborn.

Java is used a lot for web development. It is more common


among senior-level programmers. It allows for asynchronous
programming, and has a decent Natural Language Processing
community.

Both languages can be used in API interactions and for machine


learning. Java is better developed for building web
applications. Python’s Flask library is still only able to
build the basics to a Python-based UI but is great for
creating a Python back-end with an API endpoint.

Python vs Java in code


Let’s see how Java and Python work differently.

Syntax
Because Python is an interpreted language, its syntax is more
concise than Java, making getting started easier and testing
programs on the fly quick and easy. You can enter lines right
in the terminal, where Java needs to compile the whole program
in order to run.

Type python and then 3+2 and the computer responds with 5.

python

3+2
5
Consider doing this with Java. Java has no command line
interpreter (CLI), so, to print 5 like we did above, we have
to write a complete program and then compile it. Here is
[Link]:

public class Print5 {

public static void main(String[] args) {


[Link]("3+2=" + ([Link](3+2)));
}
}

To compile it, type javac [Link] and run it with java


Print5.

java Print5
3+2=5

With Java, we had to make a complete program to print 5. That


includes a class and a main function, which tells Java where
to start.

We can also have a main function with Python, which you


usually do when you want to pass it arguments. It looks like
this:

def main():
print('3+2=', 3+2)

if __name__== "__main__":
main()

Classes
Python code runs top to bottom—unless you tell it where to
start. But you can also make classes, like possible with Java,
like this:

Python Class

class Number:
def __init__(self, left, right):
[Link] = left
[Link] = right

number = Number(3, 2)

print("3+2=", [Link] + [Link])

The class, Number, has two member variables left and right.
The default constructor is __init__. We instantiate the object
by calling the constructor number = Number(3, 2). We can then
refer to the variables in the class as [Link] and
[Link]. Referring to variables directly like this is
frowned upon in Java. Instead, getter and setter functions are
used as shown below.

Here is how you would do that same thing In Java. As you can
see it is wordy, which is the main complaint people have with
Java. Below we explain some of this code.

Java Class with Getter and Setter functions

class PrintNumber {
int left;
int right;

PrintNumber(int left, int right) {


[Link] = left;
[Link] = right;
}

public int getleft() {


return left;
}
public int getRight() {
return right;
}
}

public class Print5 {

public static void main(String[] args) {


PrintNumber printNumber = new PrintNumber (3,2);
String sum = [Link]([Link]()
+ [Link]() );
[Link]("3+2=" + sum);
}
}

Python is gentle in its treatment of variables. For example,


it can print dictionary objects automatically. With Java it is
necessary to use a function that specifically prints a
dictionary. Python also casts variables of one type to another
to make it easy to print strings and integers.

On the other hand, Java has strict type checking. This helps
avoid runtime errors. Below we declare an array of Strings
called args.

String[] args

You usually put each Java class in its own file. But here we
put two classes in one file to make compiling and running the
code simpler. We have:

class PrintNumber {

int left;
int right;
}

That class has two member variables left and right. In Python,
we did not need to declare them first. We just did that on-
the-fly using the self object.

In most cases Java variables should be private, meaning you


cannot refer to them directly outside of the class. Instead
you use getter functions to retrieve their value. Like this.

public int getleft() {


return left;
}

So, in the main function, we instantiate that class and


retrieve its values:

public int getleft() {


return left;
}

public static void main(String[] args) {


PrintNumber printNumber = new PrintNumber (3,2);
String sum = [Link]([Link]()
+ [Link]() );
}

Where Python is gentle in its treatment of variables, Java is


not.

For example, we cannot concatenate and print numbers and


letters like “3+2=” + 3 + 2. So, we have to use the function
above to convert each integer to a string [Link](),
and then print the concatenation of two strings.

Learn both Java & Python


Both programming languages are suitable for many people and
have large communities behind them. Learning one does not mean
you can’t learn the other—many programmers venture into
multiple languages. And learning multiple can reinforce the
understanding of programming languages altogether.

By many measures, Python is the simpler one to learn, and


migrating to Java afterwards is possible.

Related reading
BMC DevOps Blog
Using Python for Big Data & Analytics
Java Developer Roles and Responsibilities
10 Must-Read Books for Java Developers
Top Programming & Software Dev Conferences of 2020
Java vs Go: What’s The Difference?

Common questions

Powered by AI

Python's history of development with a focus on ease of learning and versatile library support has made it incredibly popular for modern fields like artificial intelligence and data science. This evolution is coupled with a design that emphasizes clear syntax and community contributions, contributing to its rising popularity. Java's development, on the other hand, focused on creating a cross-platform language emphasizing portability and stability via the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which has popularized it for enterprise-level applications. These historic focuses have defined their current capabilities—the ease and integration for Python, and robust, stable environments for Java .

Java is more advantageous in scenarios that require platform independence and server-side operations due to its Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which provides thorough error detection and supports asynchronous programming. It is favored for web development tasks where robust application structures and reliability are prioritized. Java’s widespread use in enterprise environments also reflects its stable support community and extensive library ecosystem .

Python's design philosophy emphasizes readability and simplicity, allowing developers to quickly write and understand code, which makes Python suitable for rapid prototyping, experimentation, and educational purposes. This philosophy is reflected in its syntax and dynamic typing system. Java's design focuses on robustness, portability, and extensive use of object-orientation, favoring a more structured and verbose code language that supports building large-scale and scalable applications with strong run-time efficiency. These philosophical differences highlight Python’s suitability for single-use applications or small teams and Java’s fit for enterprise environments .

Python treats classes and functions simplistically, allowing objects and main methods to be defined flexibly and intuitively, which aligns with its beginner-friendly focus. A programmer can quickly see results by writing a script that runs from top to bottom without a mandatory main function. Java requires defining classes and a main function in detail, emphasizing structure and formality that may suit educational settings where understanding programming fundamentals is key but can be cumbersome for beginners aiming for quick wins. This structure in Java provides clarity and discipline in software development, often beneficial in later, more complex projects .

The strict type checking in Java prevents many runtime errors by catching them during compilation, which is advantageous for maintaining robust web applications with fewer surprises. This predictability helps in developing large, complex systems. However, Java's verbose nature can slow down developers, especially in situations where flexibility is needed. Python's dynamic typing allows for rapid prototyping and ease of writing code, but it can introduce runtime errors that are not encountered until execution, requiring more careful testing in dynamic environments .

Python's community support is particularly strong in areas like data science and machine learning, with comprehensive libraries and resources that make it accessible to new programmers. This community emphasis on readability and ease of use helps beginners quickly progress in their learning. Java, on the other hand, has a large, established community with extensive libraries that support enterprise-level applications, providing robust resources for experienced developers who might prioritize different aspects like stability and scalability over ease of learning .

Python uses dynamic typing, meaning variables do not have fixed types, which allows for straightforward syntax but can lead to runtime errors if types mismatch are not anticipated. Java uses static typing, where variable types are explicitly declared, leading to fewer runtime errors and easier debugging because issues are often caught during the compilation stage. While this makes Java more verbose, it generally results in improved performance and fewer runtime surprises compared to Python .

Python's popularity has increased due to its ease of use, readability, and suitability for experimentation. These features allow new programmers to start quickly without needing to build from scratch thanks to its extensive libraries, making it particularly attractive for tasks like machine learning and data science. In contrast, Java, being statically typed and compiled, is faster at runtime but not as easy to grasp for beginners .

Writing code in Python involves less syntax and is more concise, allowing developers to test programs on-the-fly due to its interpreted nature. For instance, Python code can be executed line-by-line directly in the terminal. In contrast, Java requires writing a complete program with classes and a main function. Java code must be compiled before running, which involves more steps and a more complex structure compared to Python's streamlined approach .

In Python, variables are handled dynamically, allowing for easier manipulation without explicit type declarations. This flexibility contributes to Python's ease of use and ability to handle operations fluidly. Conversely, Java requires explicit type declarations and often uses getter and setter methods to access variables, reflecting its more verbose and structured nature. This structure helps prevent errors but requires more boilerplate code, thus increasing the complexity of Java code compared to Python .

You might also like