Python and C++ are the programming languages that have been driving the world of programming these days. Every company, from a start-up to a multinational, makes use of these languages in some way or another. Hence, it becomes important that you understand the C++ and Python applications and features.
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Also, make sure to check out the Python vs C++ video on our YouTube channel:
What is Python?
Python is one of the world’s most popular programming languages, which is both high-level and object-oriented in nature. It has a wide range of packages and libraries that help with solving problems across various spectrums using the language.
The philosophy of Python is to let users do more with less code. This is done using a very concise syntax, which is not only readable but highly efficient and crisp. Hence, Python is considered to be an amazing choice for learners and enthusiasts who want to get started with programming.
Following are some of the reasons why Python is really good at what it does:
- Concise syntax compared to other programming languages
- Purpose-built for various activities, such as data analysis and data visualization
- The presence of thousands of libraries leads to virtually unlimited solution provisions
- A portable language, making it open to a wide variety of platforms and operating systems
- Automatically deals with concepts such as memory management and garbage collection
- Offers extensive support for various programming paradigms
- Cross-compatible and comes with a built-in shell and a debugger
Moreover, some of the above reasons are why Python is used in many domains. Following are a few of these domains worth mentioning:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Web Development
- Web Scraping
- Automation Testing
- Game Development
- Machine Learning
- Deep Learning
- Data Analytics
- Data Science
Next up on the difference between Python and C++, it is vital that you take a quick look at C++.
What is C++?
C++ is the paradigm when it comes to being one of the world’s favorite general-purpose programming languages. It has been in existence and development for decades. It has shown nothing but a good amount of growth and has provided great features that help developers achieve their goals faster.
The main highlight is that C++ is considered an intermediate-level programming language as it provides high-level operations but lets you use low-level language features as well.
Not only that but there are many other features also that C++ offers, making it nice and easy to use for development. Some of these features are given below:
- Support for multiple paradigms, such as generic, imperative, object-oriented, etc.
- Suitable for high-performance application development
- A high-level abstraction that lets users concentrate on logic more than on syntax
- Completely reverse compatible with the C programming language
- Support for the reusability of code is championed all over the language
With these features, C++ has found its way into numerous applications, such as:
- Development of embedded systems
- Development in the field of IoT (Internet of Things)
- Game development and game theory implementations
- Development of servers and microprocessor programs
- Development in automobile systems, such as navigation and entertainment
With these features and many applications, it should come as no surprise that C++ is used by the top companies around the globe. Be it Evernote, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Facebook, or even NASA, all have recognized the immense capabilities that C++ offers, along with its rock-solid reliability.
C++ vs Python – Which one is right for you? Use the following section to get a detailed look at this.
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C++ vs Python
The following section covers the difference between Python and C++:
| Comparison Factor | Python | C++ |
| Syntax | Highly readable syntax | Complex syntax |
| Execution | Supports dynamism and the interpreter architecture | Code is first compiled, and only then it is executed |
| Garbage Collection | Automated support for easy garbage collection and memory handling | No native support for garbage collection or automated memory management |
| Variable Scope | Known for its flexibility: its variables can be accessed and used outside a looping structure | Limits the scope of variables to the loops that are used to execute them and function in |
| Developer Salary | Python Developers get paid around an average of US$125,000 in the USA and around ₹800,000 in India per annum | C++ Developers have an average salary of around US$110,000 in the USA and around ₹700,000 in India per annum |
| Execution Speed | A little slow when executing complex pieces of code due to the interpreter structure and its architecture | Can rapidly execute complex snippets of code due to the OOP architecture and the intermediate level of access |
| Rapid Prototyping | Purpose-built to provide developers with tools and options to help in rapid prototyping | A little complex in terms of feasibility when it comes to larger code snippets for rapid prototyping |
| Multithreading Support | Supports multithreading that helps in running several programs concurrently | Does not support multithreaded programming but offers support for forking |
| Multivariable Support | Supports a lot of mutable and non-mutable data types, such as lists, tuples, dictionaries, sets, etc. | Provides support for all of the standard int, float, char, and double variables, among others |
| Data Security | Weaker data encapsulation as all class members and methods in Python are public | Provides strong data encapsulation as all the default methods and classes are private |
Conclusion
The answer to the question ‘Which one is better?’ is not as simple as it seems.
Python is great when you need faster development and managed memory, while C++ is amazing at executing code faster and giving you complete control over memory.
Depending on what it is that you exactly need makes it a little simpler to put a pin on either Python or C++, and you can start from there. Be it for beginners, intermediate users, or developers, switching from one language to another, both of these languages have a lot to offer as shown above. With this post, we hope we were clear with the difference between C++ and Python.
So, which is your pick? Is it Python or C++, and why? Head to the comments section and share your thoughts!