Is Python just a fad or here to stay? Firstly what is Python?

Python is an open source high level programming language which allows users to express code in fewer lines than your more traditional Java or C++. A developer can therefore produce cleaner code that can be utilised on both a large and small scale.

Python was created and released to the world in the 80’s by Guido Van Rossum. He is responsible for guiding the direction of Python and is referred to as Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL) in the Python community. The name Python was inspired from Monty Python. Fans’ of Monty Python will tell you of the hidden references that pop up in the language.

As a Specialist IT Recruiter I have seen the demand for Software Developers and Automation Test Engineers with good Python programming/scripting skills skyrocket in recent times.

In the build up to writing this blog I spent time speaking to many IT professional both in Development and Testing who use Python in current projects. For many of those I spoke with Python was a replacement for more traditional tools such as Matlab, Selenium, Java and Perl. The general consensus ties up with the description of Python on www.python.org - “powerful and fast; plays well with others; runs everywhere; is friendly and easy to learn; is Open”

I believe that Python has a deep hold in the IT community and is here to stay and will remain relevant into the future.

A key reason for my belief, is the general consensus that Python is an easier language to learn. Python’s syntax is designed to be intuitive and its relative simplicity allows novice and self-taught programmers to quickly start writing code for a variety of applications. Although it must be noted while Java has a steeper learning curve, it is extremely useful for developing applications that will run on any platform and is essential for someone looking to move into Android Development.

In July 2014 the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) reported that Python surpassed Java as the top language used to introduce U.S. students to programming and computer science.

Additionally, Python has many uses and can be utilised for software development, web application development, and software test automation. Python also has a web framework called Django. Python also has the great benefit of being supported on Google Cloud which currently only supports Python, Java and Go. Showing that at the very least Google feel there is a big future for Python.

In conclusion I believe learning to program in Python will be a key requirement going forward. However the best developers are not a one stop shop and have a variety of tools in their bag. The best developers can assess a situation (requirement analysis) and determine which tools to adopt to that situation.