Developers
July 16, 2020

Python Surpasses Java and Becomes the Second Most Popular Programming Language

Python: an easy to learn and powerful language that can help you develop applications fast.

Today we will talk about two familiar programming languages and how they relate with each other in the sense of usability. The programming languages we will be talking about today are Java and Python.

In the past few years, we have seen Python rise at a speedy rate. The use has been rising so much it even reached the use rate of some of the most established programming languages in the world.

In 2018, python was selected as the TIOBE index programming language of the year. Not only that, but Python has been expected to surpass Java on the index.

Developers tend to follow the most used language so they can include it in their stack. If a programming language is rising meteorically, one can know that there has to be benefits included. There's always a reason for people using something. A programming language is always chosen for multiple reasons.

JetBrains has recently reported, now in 2020, that the prediction made in 2018 by TIOBE was successful. Java is still the most widespread primary language, but Python surpassed it in the index of the most used languages.

The report has been done to over 34,000 developers. So there is no bias or no speculation. The result is based on the developer's responses and nothing else apart from it. It's not only the most used actual language, but the most studied too. 30% of the developers that responded to the survey for the report are still learning or about to learn Python.  

From 2017 to 2020 almost every developer has jumped from Python 2 to Python 3. 93% of the respondents use Python 3. Python 2 is no longer maintained, and for that reason, we can expect the last 7% which still uses it to migrate and move on to Python 3. It is always a good practice to use the up to date version of any programming language.

What is Python used for? 

Python is mostly used for web development, for analyzing data, and for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning purposes. As we see, the use cases are many as it is considered a flexible language.

Other programming languages are also rising meteorically. One is Kotlin and the other is Go. Kotlin developers are mostly working on Android applications. It is mostly used for Web back-end, mobile dev, with tools such as open libraries and frameworks. It is considered a versatile language as it can be used for many cases. Its main feature, and the reason why it's rising at such speed is that it allows developers to share code. This allows multiplatform libraries and applications.  

The other language, Go, is mostly used for microservices. The use cases vary but mostly used for web development, utilities, and infrastructure. 63% of developers use it for work while 28% use it for personal projects.

Python vs Java

Python

Python is an interpreted, object-oriented programming language. It's considered a language to develop applications fast. What makes developers work faster? Dynamic typing, and dynamic binding.

The language can be used for scripting and to connect multiple components efficiently. The syntax of the language is simple and didactic. Python supports multiple modules and packages, allowing code reusability.  

Java

Java is one of the most used languages in the world. It's a high-level programming language which has been originally developed for handheld devices and later became focused on the development of web applications. It counts with a syntaxis similar to C and C++. It's an object-oriented programming language.

 Why do people prefer Python over Java? 

There are a couple of reasons that motivate developers to choose one programming language over the other. Such is the case in Python over Java. Java is one of the most established programming languages in the world, despite Python use still rises at a faster pace.

  1. Python is much easier to learn than Java
  2. Python uses less memory than Java
  3. Python development is faster than Java
  4. Python programs run faster than Java programs
  5. In Python You can install scripts much easier than in Java

In conclusion, Python has risen meteorically to surpass Java in the last year. The prediction has been made in 2018 as many developers jumped into the Python world. The prediction was successful and now, in 2020, Python is being used more than Java. Something surprising for old school developers, but whoever is in tune with the latest trends could predict this. There are many reasons why Python is chosen over Java and other languages too. Python is being chosen for its easiness, fast development ability, low memory usage, fast-running applications, and big community. If you are not yet developing in Python, make sure to consider it as part of your stack

TagsPythonJavaProgramming
Lucas Bonder
Technical Writer
Lucas is an Entrepreneur, Web Developer, and Article Writer about Technology.

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DevelopersJuly 16, 2020
Python Surpasses Java and Becomes the Second Most Popular Programming Language
Python: an easy to learn and powerful language that can help you develop applications fast.

Today we will talk about two familiar programming languages and how they relate with each other in the sense of usability. The programming languages we will be talking about today are Java and Python.

In the past few years, we have seen Python rise at a speedy rate. The use has been rising so much it even reached the use rate of some of the most established programming languages in the world.

In 2018, python was selected as the TIOBE index programming language of the year. Not only that, but Python has been expected to surpass Java on the index.

Developers tend to follow the most used language so they can include it in their stack. If a programming language is rising meteorically, one can know that there has to be benefits included. There's always a reason for people using something. A programming language is always chosen for multiple reasons.

JetBrains has recently reported, now in 2020, that the prediction made in 2018 by TIOBE was successful. Java is still the most widespread primary language, but Python surpassed it in the index of the most used languages.

The report has been done to over 34,000 developers. So there is no bias or no speculation. The result is based on the developer's responses and nothing else apart from it. It's not only the most used actual language, but the most studied too. 30% of the developers that responded to the survey for the report are still learning or about to learn Python.  

From 2017 to 2020 almost every developer has jumped from Python 2 to Python 3. 93% of the respondents use Python 3. Python 2 is no longer maintained, and for that reason, we can expect the last 7% which still uses it to migrate and move on to Python 3. It is always a good practice to use the up to date version of any programming language.

What is Python used for? 

Python is mostly used for web development, for analyzing data, and for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning purposes. As we see, the use cases are many as it is considered a flexible language.

Other programming languages are also rising meteorically. One is Kotlin and the other is Go. Kotlin developers are mostly working on Android applications. It is mostly used for Web back-end, mobile dev, with tools such as open libraries and frameworks. It is considered a versatile language as it can be used for many cases. Its main feature, and the reason why it's rising at such speed is that it allows developers to share code. This allows multiplatform libraries and applications.  

The other language, Go, is mostly used for microservices. The use cases vary but mostly used for web development, utilities, and infrastructure. 63% of developers use it for work while 28% use it for personal projects.

Python vs Java

Python

Python is an interpreted, object-oriented programming language. It's considered a language to develop applications fast. What makes developers work faster? Dynamic typing, and dynamic binding.

The language can be used for scripting and to connect multiple components efficiently. The syntax of the language is simple and didactic. Python supports multiple modules and packages, allowing code reusability.  

Java

Java is one of the most used languages in the world. It's a high-level programming language which has been originally developed for handheld devices and later became focused on the development of web applications. It counts with a syntaxis similar to C and C++. It's an object-oriented programming language.

 Why do people prefer Python over Java? 

There are a couple of reasons that motivate developers to choose one programming language over the other. Such is the case in Python over Java. Java is one of the most established programming languages in the world, despite Python use still rises at a faster pace.

  1. Python is much easier to learn than Java
  2. Python uses less memory than Java
  3. Python development is faster than Java
  4. Python programs run faster than Java programs
  5. In Python You can install scripts much easier than in Java

In conclusion, Python has risen meteorically to surpass Java in the last year. The prediction has been made in 2018 as many developers jumped into the Python world. The prediction was successful and now, in 2020, Python is being used more than Java. Something surprising for old school developers, but whoever is in tune with the latest trends could predict this. There are many reasons why Python is chosen over Java and other languages too. Python is being chosen for its easiness, fast development ability, low memory usage, fast-running applications, and big community. If you are not yet developing in Python, make sure to consider it as part of your stack

Python
Java
Programming
About the author
Lucas Bonder -Technical Writer
Lucas is an Entrepreneur, Web Developer, and Article Writer about Technology.