In the past 12 months Python has been searched on Google more often than Kim Kardashian, a reality-TV star. When Dutch Scientist Guido van Rossuma devised the Python programming language in 1989 I doubt he envisaged the popularity of his invention.
Advantages of Using Python
The language’s two main advantages are its simplicity and flexibility. Its straightforward syntax and use of indented spaces make it easy to learn, read and share. Its avid practitioners, known as Pythonistas, have uploaded 145,000 custom-built software packages to an online repository. These cover everything from game development to astronomy, and can be installed and inserted into a Python program in a matter of seconds. This versatility means that the Central Intelligence Agency has used it for hacking, Google for crawling webpages, Pixar for producing movies and Spotify for recommending songs. Some of the most popular packages harness “machine learning”, by crunching large quantities of data to pick out patterns that would otherwise be imperceptible.
The Future of Python
With such a rapidly growing user base and wide array of capabilities, Python might seem destined to become the lingua franca of coding, rendering all other competitors obsolete. That is unlikely, according to Grady Booch, IBM’s chief software scientist, who compares programming languages to empires. Though at times a rising power might be poised for world domination, its rivals generally survive in the technical and cultural niches in which they emerged. Python will not replace C and C++, which are “lower-level options” that give the user more control over what is going on in a computer’s processor. Nor will it kill off Java, which is popular for building complicated applications, or JavaScript, which powers most web pages.
Moreover, Pythonistas who take their language’s supremacy for granted should beware. Fortran, Lisp and Ada were all highly popular in the 1980s and 1990s, according to the TIOBE index, which tracks coding practices among professional developers. Their use has plummeted, as more efficient options have become available. No empire, regardless of its might, can last forever.
Hiring Python Developers
Demand for Python Developers at the moment is high, therefore to be competitive a good Python Developer will cost in the region of £60-75k to hire in London, or around £45-55k to hire outside the capital.
With typical fill times of 4-8 weeks get in touch with Guru today to discuss our unique approach to filling your Python Development Jobs.
First reported in the Economist.