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<!DOCTYPE html>

<title>Why Use Python? - Full Stack Python</title>

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<a href="/">Full Stack Python</a>

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<h1>Why Use Python?</h1>

Python's expansive library of open source data analysis tools,

<a href="/web-frameworks.html">web frameworks</a>,

and testing instruments make its ecosystem one of the largest out of any

programming community.

Python is an accessible language for new programmers because of the extensive

availability of

<a href="/best-python-resources.html">free and low cost introductory resources</a>. The

language is also widely taught in universities and used for working with

beginner-friendly devices such as the

<a href="http://www.raspberrypi.org/">Raspberry Pi</a>.

<h2>Python's programming language popularity</h2>

Several programming language popularity rankings exist. While it's

possible to criticize that these guides are not exact, every ranking shows

Python as a top programming language within the top ten, if not the top five

of all languages.

Most recently, the

<a href="http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2015/01/14/language-rankings-1-15/">RedMonk January 2015 ranking</a> had Python at #4.

The

<a href="http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html">TIOBE Index</a>,

a long-running language ranking, has Python steady at #8.

The <a href="http://pypl.github.io/PYPL.html">PopularitY of Programming Language</a>

(PYPL), based on leading indicators from Google Trends search keyword

analysis, shows Python at #3.

<a href="http://githut.info/">GitHut</a>, a visualization of GitHub language popularity,

pegs Python at #3 overall as well.

These rankings provide a rough measure for language popularity. They are not

intended as a precise measurement tool to determine exactly how many

developers are using a language. However, the aggregate view shows that Python

remains a stable programming language with a growing ecosystem.

<h2>Why does the choice of programming language matter?</h2>

Programming languages have unique ecosystems, cultures and philosophies

built around them. You will find friction with a community and difficulty

in learning if your approach to programming varies from the philosophy of

the programming language you've selected.

Python's culture values

<a href="https://github.com/trending?l=python&since=monthly">open source software</a>,

community involvement with

<a href="http://www.pycon.org/">local, national and international events</a> and

teaching to new programmers. If those values are also important to you and/or

your organization then Python may be a good fit.

The philosophy for Python is so strongly held that it's even embedded in

the language as shown when the interpreter executes "import this" and

displays <a href="https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0020/">The Zen of Python</a>.

<div class="codehilite"><pre>>>> import this

The Zen of Python, by Tim Peters

Beautiful is better than ugly.

Explicit is better than implicit.

Simple is better than complex.

Complex is better than complicated.

Flat is better than nested.

Sparse is better than dense.

Readability counts.

Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules.

Although practicality beats purity.

Errors should never pass silently.

Unless explicitly silenced.

In the face of ambiguity, refuse the temptation to guess.

There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious way to do it.

Although that way may not be obvious at first unless you're Dutch.

Now is better than never.

Although never is often better than *right* now.

If the implementation is hard to explain, it's a bad idea.

If the implementation is easy to explain, it may be a good idea.

Namespaces are one honking great idea -- let's do more of those!

</pre></div>

<h3>More perspectives on why to use Python</h3>

<ul>

<li>

The Python documentation has a HOWTO section specifically for

<a href="https://docs.python.org/2/howto/advocacy.html">Python advocacy</a>.

</li>

<li>

<a href="http://nothingbutsnark.svbtle.com/how-to-argue-for-pythons-use">How to argue for Python’s use</a>

explains that choosing a programming language can be complicated but that

Python is a very good option for many use cases.

</li>

<li>

<a href="http://lorenabarba.com/blog/why-i-push-for-python/">Why I Push for Python</a>

explains one professor's rationale for promoting Python to teach programming

to undergraduates.

</li>

</ul>

<h3>Resources for Python enterprise advocacy</h3>

<ul>

<li>

CIO Magazine discusses why

<a href="http://www.cio.com/article/2431212/developer/dynamic-languages--not-just-for-scripting-any-more.html">dynamic languages are increasingly being adopted in enterprise environments</a>.

</li>

<li>

PayPal covers

<a href="https://www.paypal-engineering.com/2014/12/10/10-myths-of-enterprise-python/">10 myths about enterprise Python</a>

via their engineering blog.

</li>

<li>

My DjangoCon 2014 talk focused on overcoming false biases against

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMtiCX38w20">Python and Django in enterprise environments</a>.

</li>

</ul>

<h2>What else would you like to know about Python?</h2>

Let me start over from the Full Stack Python introduction.

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Show me what's coming on Full Stack Python in the future.

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Let me see the list of all Full Stack Python topics.

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<h4>Interested in major updates to this site or an alert when a complete Full Stack Python book with detailed example code is released? Sign up here and you'll an occasional email only when there's big news to report.</h4>

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<h3 class="panel-head"><a href="/table-of-contents.html" style="color: #fff;">Table of Contents</a></h3>

</div>

<a href="/introduction.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Introduction</a>

<a href="/why-use-python.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item active">Why Use Python?</a>

<a href="/development-environments.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Development Environments</a>

<a href="/best-python-resources.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Best Python Resources</a>

<a href="/web-frameworks.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Web Frameworks</a>

<a href="/django.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Django</a>

<a href="/flask.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Flask</a>

<a href="/bottle.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Bottle</a>

<a href="/pyramid.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Pyramid</a>

<a href="/morepath.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Morepath</a>

<a href="/other-web-frameworks.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Other Web Frameworks</a>

<a href="/web-design.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Web Design</a>

<a href="/cascading-style-sheets.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Cascading Style Sheets</a>

<a href="/javascript.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">JavaScript</a>

<a href="/websockets.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">WebSockets</a>

<a href="/web-application-security.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Web Application Security</a>

<a href="/databases.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Databases</a>

<a href="/no-sql-datastore.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">NoSQL Data Stores</a>

<a href="/application-programming-interfaces.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Application Programming Interfaces</a>

<a href="/api-integration.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">API Integration</a>

<a href="/api-creation.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">API Creation</a>

<a href="/deployment.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Deployment</a>

<a href="/servers.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Servers</a>

<a href="/platform-as-a-service.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Platform-as-a-service</a>

<a href="/operating-systems.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Operating Systems</a>

<a href="/web-servers.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Web Servers</a>

<a href="/wsgi-servers.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">WSGI Servers</a>

<a href="/source-control.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Source Control</a>

<a href="/application-dependencies.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Application Dependencies</a>

<a href="/static-content.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Static Content</a>

<a href="/task-queues.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Task Queues</a>

<a href="/configuration-management.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Configuration Management</a>

<a href="/continuous-integration.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Continuous Integration</a>

<a href="/logging.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Logging</a>

<a href="/monitoring.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Monitoring</a>

<a href="/web-analytics.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Web Analytics</a>

<a href="/docker.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Docker</a>

<a href="/caching.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Caching</a>

<a href="/code-metrics.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Code Metrics</a>

<a href="/what-full-stack-means.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">What "Full Stack" Means</a>

<a href="/change-log.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Change Log</a>

<a href="/future-directions.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">Future Directions</a>

<a href="/about-author.html" class="list-group-item smaller-item ">About the Author</a>

</div>

<div class="panel-heading"><h3 class="panel-head">Why Use Python?</h3></div>

Need more detailed tutorials and walkthroughs than you see here?

<a href="/email.html">Sign up for an email alert when that content is created.</a>

<hr/>

<a href="/">Full Stack Python</a> is an open book that explains

concepts in plain language and provides the most helpful resources

on those topics.

<hr/>

<a href="http://twitter.com/mattmakai">Matt Makai</a> built

this site with appreciated assistance from

<a href="https://github.com/makaimc/fullstackpython.github.com/pulls">pull requests</a>.

</div>

</div></div>

<hr/>

<a href="http://www.mattmakai.com/" class="underline">Matt Makai</a>

2015

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