First off , why coding?

If the machines are taking over we better learn their language!

In 2021 the machines are indeed taking over. Taking over tasks we are just not so good at - like menial and repetitive tasks, and leaving us to focus on the fun ones, tasks calling for creativity and ingenuity.

To accomplish this, and not to be left behind, we need to learn to speak ‘machine’, that is to code.

For the student, the ability to code opens the door to many careers, but also allows the professional to have a grasp and an appreciation for the technological advances around us. Can any business leader be without such insight? Such a grasp will prevent one from being caught completely off-guard by the next leap in advancement. It makes one consider what is possible and what may come next. Quite frankly, it gives one access to a community which is at the cutting edge of development. (where the future is already happening)

Why Python?

Python is a programming language or one dialect of ‘machine’ to extend the analogy above.

Now having said all of that, some argue convincingly that Python is THE language in 2021.
As a programming language it formally comes with four key distinguishing features.

  1. It is an interpreted language as opposed to a compiled language. Formally this means a different program, known as the interpreter, reads and executes the code. This makes messing around in Python very very easy and a novice can safely do lots of ‘what ifs’ very quickly!
  2. It is object-oriented. Without going in to too much detail here, being object oriented allows Python to be many things to many developers with varying levels of expertise and application.
  3. It is a high-level programming language. o This means programmers write instructions in code is easy to understand and read. This especially true when compared to what is considered low-level languages.
  4. Python comes with dynamic semantics.
    o In a very simple way Python is free from rigorous constraints necessary and followed by many other languages in declaring and using variables. Once again this makes Python easy to ‘mess around’ in, and prototype ideas. o But this is not enough to make it as popular as it already is.

Python has become synonymous with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) and data science. Much of what we know now as the Fourth Industrial Revolution was coded in Python. In 2021, as it was in 2010, Python is THE language to master for a couple of reasons. It is easy to learn.
If that is not enough there are any number of online courses and study material. It is a general purpose language.
It is open source.
Is updated and maintained by experts with a vested interest in seeing it remain the language of choice for data science.
It is ubiquitous.
Put out an advert today for a data scientist and expect a Python programmer. Mention Python at any conference involving data and Python will be mentioned. There is a huge online supporting community.
Questions are asked and answered by developers of all skill levels, giving rise to an ever increasing body of Python knowledge. This online support is more perhaps more complete than what any help function could ever have been. Ask any question and it probably has been asked before and has received many answers before.
The hard work has been done. (and is being done). Python has seen an ever expanding number of libraries (code with helper functions and methods) developed by experienced developers and leaders in their fields of research and application. These libraries are peer reviewed and grows by virtue of its success which means it will be developed by other contributors. It is hard to imagine tasks not already solved or made easier in Python. there is little it cannot manage.

Isn’t that enough? Consider the following: https://www.upgrad.com/blog/best-programming-languages-for-machine-learning/ https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2020#technology-most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-languages-wanted https://insights.dice.com/2020/12/09/5-programming-languages-that-will-dominate-2021-python-go-more/ https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/good-reasons-why-you-should-learn-python https://vilmate.com/blog/python-vs-other-programming-languages/ https://www.howtopython.org/comparing-python-to-other-languages/

Python has also found huge corporate support in companies such as Amazon, Google and Facebook.

In Summary It is hard to envisage a future time when Python will no longer be number 1. The question is not why Python in any modern industry, but if anything else, why?