Java vs Python – Difference Between Them

Key Difference between Java and Python

  • Java is a compiled and interpreted language, whereas Python is an interpreted language.
  • Java is statically typed, whereas Python is dynamically typed.
  • Java has a complex learning curve, whereas Python is easy to learn and use.
  • Java is a multi-platform, object-oriented, and network-centric programming language, whereas Python is a high-level object-oriented programming language.
  • Java takes 10 lines of code to read from a file, while Python only needs 2 lines of code.
  • Java language uses curly braces to define the beginning and end of each function and class definition, whereas Python uses indentation to separate code into separate blocks.
  • In Java, multiple inheritances are partially done through interfaces, whereas Python supports both single and multiple inheritances.
  • Java offers limited string-related functions, whereas Python offers lots of string-related functions.
  • Java programs can run on any computer or mobile device that is able to run the Java virtual machine (JVM), while Python programs need an interpreter installed on the target machine to translate Python code. Compared to Java, Python is less portable.
  • Java is best for desktop GUI apps, embedded systems, and web application services, whereas Python is excellent for scientific and numeric computing, machine learning apps, and more.
  • Java offers stable connectivity, while Python offers weak connectivity.

Difference between Java and Python
Difference between Java and Python

Here, I have analyzed the difference between Java and Python and will comprehensively evaluate their pros and cons.

What is Java?

Java is a multi-platform, object-oriented, and network-centric programming language. It is among the most used programming languages. It is also used as a computing platform, and it was first released by Sun Microsystem in 1995. It was later acquired by Oracle Corporation.

What is Python?

Python is a high-level object-oriented programming language. It has built-in data structures, combined with dynamic binding and typing, which makes it an ideal choice for rapid application development. Python also offers support for modules and packages, which allows system modularity and code reuse.

It is one of the fastest programming languages, as it requires very few lines of code. Its emphasis is on readability and simplicity, which make it a great choice for beginners.

Google Trends: Java vs Python
Google Trends: Java vs Python

Why Java?

From my extensive experience, these are the benefits I have found in using Java.

  • Detailed documentation is available.
  • A large pool of skilled developers is is available.
  • A huge array of 3rd party libraries
  • It allows you to create standard programs and reusable code.
  • It is a multi-threaded environment that allows you to perform many tasks at the same time in a program.
  • Excellent performance
  • Easy-to-navigate libraries

Why do we need Python?

  • Very simple syntax compared to Java, C, and C++ languages.
  • Used for machine learning, deep learning, and the general overarching AI field. Very useful in data analysis and visualization.
  • An extensive library and handy tools for developers.
  • Python is cross-compatible.
  • Python has its own auto-installed shell.
  • Compared with the code of other languages, Python code is easy to write and debug. Therefore, its source code is relatively easy to maintain.
  • Python is a portable language, so it can run on a wide variety of operating systems and platforms.
  • Python comes with many prebuilt libraries, which makes your development task easy.
  • Python helps you make complex programming simpler. It internally deals with memory addresses and garbage collection.
  • Python provides an interactive shell that helps you test things before their actual implementation.
  • Python offers database interfaces to all major commercial DBMS systems.
  • Supports imperative and functional programming.
  • Python is famous for its use in the IoT.

Difference between Java and Python

As someone who has extensively used both languages, I will explain the main differences between Java and Python.

Difference between Java and Python
Java vs Python
Parameter Java Python
Compilation Java is a compiled language. Python is an interpreted language.
Static or Dynamic Java is statically typed. Python is dynamically typed.
String operations Offers limited string-related functions. It offers lots of string-related functions.
Learning curve Complex learning curve. Easy to learn and use.
Multiple inheritances Multiple inheritances are partially done through interfaces. It offers both single inheritances and multiple inheritances.
Braces vs. Indentation It uses curly braces to define the beginning and end of each function and class definition. Python uses indentation to separate code into code blocks.
Speed Java programs run slowly compared to Python. Python programs run faster than Java.
Portability Any computer or mobile device that is able to run the Java virtual machine can run a Java application. Python programs need an interpreter installed on the target machine to translate Python code. Compared to Java, Python is less portable.
Read file Java takes 10 lines of code to read from a file. Python only needs 2 lines of code.
Architecture Java Virtual Machine provides the runtime environment to execute the code and convert bytecode into machine language. For Python, the interpreter translates source code into machine-independent bytecode.
Backend Frameworks Spring, Blade Django, Flask
Machine Learning Libraries Weka, Mallet, Deeplearning4j, and MOA. Tensorflow, Pytorch.
Game Development Engines JMonkeyEngine Cocos. Panda3d
Famous companies using this technology Airbnb, Netflix, Spotify, and Instagram. Uber Technologies, Dropbox, and Google.
Best features
  • Great libraries
  • Widely used
  • Excellent tooling
  • There is a huge amount of documentation available.
  • Readable code
  • Rapid development
  • Beautiful code
Best use for Java is best for desktop GUI apps, embedded systems, web application services, etc. Python is excellent for scientific and numeric computing, machine learning apps, and more.
Database support Java offers stable connectivity. Python offers weak connectivity.
Code example
 class A {
 public static void main(String args[]) {
     System.out.println("Hello World");
 }
}
Hello World in Python:
print "hello world";
TIOBE Rating 4 1
Companies using it Docker, Android SDK, Spring Boot, Senty, etc. Django, Flask, Pycharm, CircleCI, etc.
Salaries The average salary for a Java developer in the United States is $103,464 per year. The average salary for a Python developer in the United States is $118,626 per year.

History of Java

As I have navigated through Java, I have pinpointed a few crucial landmarks in the language.

  • Java language was initially called OAK. Originally, it was developed for handling portable devices and set-top boxes. Oak was a massive failure.
  • In 1995, Sun changed the name to “Java” and modified the language to take advantage of the burgeoning WWW (World Wide Web) development business.
  • Later, in 2009, Oracle Corporation acquired Sun Microsystems and took ownership of three key Sun software assets: Java, MySQL, and Solaris.

History of Python

Here are the crucial landmarks that I have come to know about the Python language.

  • Python was first conceived in the late 1980s, but its implementation started only in December 1989.
  • It was invented in the Netherlands by Guido van Rossum.
  • Rossum published the first version of Python (0.9.0) in February 1999.
  • It was derived from the ABC programming language, which is a general-purpose programming language.
  • Nowadays, Python is maintained by a core development team, although Rossum still plays a vital role in directing its progress.

Comparison between Java and Python

Comparison between Java and Python
Stack Overflow Questions Java vs. Python

Features of Java

Based on what I have learned, these are the important features of Java.

Features of Java

Features of Java

  • Write code once and run it on almost any computing platform.
  • It is designed for building object-oriented applications.
  • It is a multithreaded language with automatic memory management.
  • Facilitates distributed computing as its network-centric.

Features of Python

From my personal experience, I have identified these key features of Python. 

Features of Python

Features of Python

  • Easy to learn, read, and maintain.
  • It can run on various hardware platforms using the same interface.
  • You can include low-level modules in the Python interpreter.
  • Python offers an ideal structure and supports large programs.
  • Python offers support for automatic garbage collection.
  • It supports an interactive mode of testing and debugging.
  • It offers high-level dynamic data types and also supports dynamic type checking.
  • Python language can be integrated with Java, C, and C++ programming code.

Disadvantages of Java

Throughout my time using Java, I have come across the following disadvantages:

  • JIT compiler makes the program comparatively slow.
  • Java has high memory and processing requirements. Therefore, hardware costs increase.
  • It does not provide support for low-level programming constructs like pointers.
  • You don’t have any control over garbage collection as Java does not offer functions like delete() or free().

Disadvantages of Python

Here are the drawbacks of Python from my experience.

  • Used on fewer platforms.
  • Python is interpreted, so it’s much slower than its counterparts.
  • Weak in mobile computing, hence not used in app development.
  • Science Python is dynamic; more errors show up at run-time.
  • Underdeveloped and primitive database access layer.
  • Absence of commercial support.

Summary

What is the difference between Java and Python?

The main difference between Java and Python is that Java is a statically typed and compiled language that offers limited string-related functions, while Python is a dynamically typed and interpreted language that offers lots of string-related functions.

How to Choose Between Java and Python

Python is an ideal choice for beginners as the language is more intuitive and its syntax is very similar to the English language. Its open-source nature facilitates a slew of new tools that improve it.

On the other hand, Java is a general-purpose programming language that was designed with the specific goal of allowing developers to write once and run anywhere.

Selecting one language, Java or Python, ultimately comes down to the nature and cost of the development project.