Java vs. Python: Difference, Career Opportunity & Best Language for Future

There is an on-going debate about the difference between the two programming languages JAVA and Python. Students often get confused while selecting a programming language to start learning. You can choose the programming language by understanding the prime differences between JAVA and Python.

In the following article, we discussed the differences between JAVA and Python.

History Of JAVA

James Gosling developed JAVA in 1995. It was earlier known as Oak. It was developed to handle portable devices and set up boxes. After the first version, there have been many changes in the language. Starting from developing a language for set-up boxes, now JAVA Programming has changed the web page interface from simple text to animation. It is a high-level object-oriented language. It derives the name JAVA from a coffee found on an island in Indonesia. Developers use JAVA in Web applications, mobile applications, enterprise applications, etc.

History Of Python

Python Programming Language was developed by Guido Van Rossum in 1989, in the Netherlands. Python was originally derived from a general-purpose programming language named, ABC programming language. The language came to use in 1991 and used very few codes to express the concept. The release version of Python had enough capability to provide core data types, and classes with inheritance and exception handling and function. The most popular coding language, Python, has completed 30 years of existence. This can be one reason to learn python. It is the inspiration behind the development of other coding languages like Cobra, Ruby, Swift, Boo, etc.

Some Key Differences Between Java & Python

1. Stability

JAVA is less prone to code crashes or issues than Python. It is because JAVA is more technically stable than Python. We can run the Python syntax in runtime while JAVA requires proper review and running before running. JAVA receives regular updates, and the frameworks and libraries are upgraded regularly. It keeps JAVA relatively stable compared to Python. Regular checks keep the language stable and less prone to lagging or crashing in heavy traffic.

2. Performance

On an average view, Python programs run much slower than the JAVA developed programs. On the other hand, Python requires much less code than JAVA for a specific function. The same outcome from Python has 3-5 fewer codes than JAVA. Also, JAVA is quick for application performance while in the software development lifecycle, Python is faster. Python is also quicker in debugging, code maintenance and bringing the code to market. The just-in-time compilation of JAVA ensures performance enhancement of JAVA during web application development.

3. Resources

Small and medium-sized projects prefer python over JAVA because of its cost-effective nature. JAVA requires a large budget, more time and a large team of programmers. Hence, the development process is slower in JAVA. Although, the final product will be of higher quality than python the development process will be slower and time-taking. Hence, JAVA is common as a language of the corporation and requires an all-around investment.

4. Demand Across the Market

JAVA is more in demand among developers. Python is common in the market due to its easy communication. Compared to JAVA, python is famous among small-sized businesses and corporations. The Github Octoverse shows JAVA as the second most demanded language, followed by python. But, according to the latest trends, the demand for JAVA has fallen drastically due to the advent of Kotlin. But, JAVA is still more in demand than python.

Advantages of Java Language

The advantages of the Java programming language are as follow,

1. Platform Independent

Java is a platform-independent programming language hence you can run the compiled Java programming code on all platforms. There is no need for any software for running Java code on other platforms, but the machine should have JVM (Java Virtual Machine). JVM is used to optimize and manage the program memory and it is also used to run Java programs on various operating systems & devices.

2. Object-oriented

Java is an object-oriented programming language, and this makes it easy to reuse objects in other programs. It uses various object-oriented concepts like class, inheritance, object, abstraction, polymorphism, and encapsulation. With object-oriented programming, you can make programs more organized and pre-planned.

3. Libraries

You get numerous open-source libraries in Java programming languages like Maven, Apache commons, Mockito, Guava, JHipster, etc. Java programming language has a huge community that makes Java the best and easy to learn programming language. The huge set of libraries are very helpful in making the development easy and fast.

4. Automatic Memory Management

Memory management is the process of allocation and de-allocation of objects. In Java, the programming language allocation of the memory is done automatically. The automatic memory management system used by the Java programming language is known as a garbage collector and this reduces memory footprint and lagging.

5. Multithreading

For maximizing the utilization of the CPU, the Java programming language allows you to run threads simultaneously. The process of running threads simultaneously is known as Multithreading. Multithreading is very useful for heavy programs & gaming and threads are independent so in case if there are any problems then the other threads do not get affected.

6. Simple

Java programming language has a simple syntax that is clean and easy to understand and this makes it an easy to learn programming language. The syntax of Java is based on C++ and it has removed various complicated features like operator overloading, explicit pointers, etc. All these features make Java a simple programming language.

7. Distributed Language for Easy Remote Collaboration

Java is developed as a distributed language and this means it has an integrated mechanism that allows Java programming language to share data and programs between different computers to get better efficiency and improved performance.

These were the important advantages of both programming languages. Now we will look the what are the major differences between Java vs python language.

Advantages of Python Language 

The main advantages of the Python programming language are as follows,

1. Easy to learn

It is a versatile programming language, which is easy to learn and this makes it a perfect language for beginners as well as professionals. Python is an object-oriented programming language that helps developers in carrying out complex tasks in various fields like Artificial intelligence and Machine learning.

2. Extensive Libraries and Frameworks

Python programming language offers a lot of frameworks and libraries and this reduces the development time and makes the job of developers easy. Some of the amazing libraries of Python are NumPy, SciPy, PyBrain, Pandas, Theano, etc. One of the most important frameworks of the Python programming language is Django. It is a high-level framework that is used for clean design, rapid development, and secure websites.

3. Platform Independent

It is a platform-independent programming language that makes it easy for developers to run the code on other operating systems without making any changes in the code. The python programming language is supported by various operating systems like Linux, Mac OS, Windows, etc. It is an interpreted language because it uses PVM (Python Virtual Machine) that converts python code into a code that is understandable by the machine.

4. Efficiency

Python programming language is easy to understand as it mainly focuses on code readability. It takes less time to write codes in the Python programming language because the code is shorter. In the Python programming language, developers can focus on specific problems and this leads to increased efficiency and productivity.

5. Flexibility

Python programming language can be easily integrated with various other programming languages like Java, C, .Net, C#, ActiveX, Ruby, etc. It is a flexible programming language and developers can use it in various fields or in the development of specific applications.

6. Presence of Third-Party Modules

The third-party modules allow the python programming language to interact with other programming languages and platforms. The Python package index (PyPI) has numerous third-party modules like Virtualenv, pip, etc.

7. Open Source

Python programming language is developed under an OSI-approved open-source license that makes it free to use and distribute even for commercial use. It has an extensive community that keeps the python programming language well maintained.

Java Vs Python : Comparison Table

Java Career Opportunities & Jobs 

Java is one of the oldest programming languages that is used in various fields. You can easily make a career in the Java programming language as there are a lot of job opportunities available. Some of the various roles of Java programming language experts are Java developer, Java architect, Java Android developer, etc. The annual average salary of a Java developer in various countries is mentioned below,

• India – ₹ 448,133
• U.K. – £36,059
• Canada – C$68,770
• France – €38,561
• Germany – €49,104

(Source – payscale.com)

Python Career Opportunities & Jobs

Python programming language is simple & easy to learn and it has various applications in a lot of fields. There are numerous job opportunities available for python developers because it is a versatile and flexible programming language. Some of the roles of a Python programming language expert are Python developer, Data scientist, Machine learning engineer, etc. Below, we have mentioned the annual average salary of python developer in different countries,

• India – ₹ 561,940
• U.K. – £39,368
• Canada – C$67,257
• France – €43,865
• Germany – €49,442

(Source – payscale.com)

Java Vs Python: Which Is Better for the Future

Both Java and Python are very robust programming languages with massive potentials. Java is a statically typed programming language, whereas python is dynamically typed, and each programming language has its own advantages. Choosing a programming language between Java and Python mostly depends on the type of work involved. If a lot of data is to be stored and managed, then in such cases memory consumption is higher and Java is the most efficient language to use. However, for Machine learning tasks or for faster development, python is the most preferred language. Hence, based on the features both programming languages have a very bright future.

FAQ

Conclusion

JAVA and Python, are the two most popular coding languages in the market. The powerful languages are serving the needs of various organizations. The future of technology, machine learning, and augmented and virtual reality-based applications demand both languages for different purposes. While there are differences in both languages it depends on the enterprise and which programming language they want to use.