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Introduction
Hello Ninjas, we are here to discuss some interesting facts about Scala and Python and the differences between them at the end.
Python and Scala are the two essential languages of the Data Science and Analytics community. Both Scala and Python play a crucial role in accomplishing Data Science needs.
Both Scala and Python support the object-oriented model to create web applications, but at the same time, both Scala vs Python have a few pros and cons.
Let's discuss Scala and Python before moving toward the key points of Scala vs Python.
Scala is a general-purpose programming, high-level language that combines object-oriented and functional programming features to design applications. The source code of the languages is written in such a way that all the libraries of Scala and Java can be referenced in either of the language's codes.
Scala has a special feature of strong static typing, which helps our developers to eliminate the possibility of bugs in the application. Other points of Scala language will be discussed below when we will see Scala vs Python.
Pros of Scala
Scala can be used to execute Java code.
Scala is highly scalable and useful for building strong concurrent applications.
Type interface offered.
Cons of Scala
Scala is a bit difficult to learn.
Limited Community presence.
It has a limited developer tool.
What is Python?
Python is general-purpose dynamic programming, a high-level language used by most people to upgrade their programming skills with its easy English-like syntax, less typing, fast prototyping, and several other new features. All these features make Python a go-to tool for Data Science and Software Development projects.
Moreover, the Python interpreter and its standard library are freely available on and compatible with all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Pros of Python
Easy and clear syntax.
Python has extensive libraries.
Large community support.
Cons of Python
Extra runtime is required.
Inflexible user base.
Python has limited support for functional programming.
Now let's move on to the main crux of the article, i.e., Scala vs Python.
Scala vs Python
Below are some points for scala vs python.
Feature
Scala
Python
Definition
Scala is a statically typed object-oriented programming language, which is why we need to specify the type of variables and objects in Scala.
Python is a dynamically typed language, which is why we don't need to specify objects in Python.
Type Safety
Scala is a statically typed language.
Python is a dynamically typed language.
Programming Language
Scala is a compiled language.
Python is an interpreted language.
Safety
As Scala is statically typed, it is easier to find compile time errors.
Python is dynamically typed and hence, is more prone to bugs.
Speed
Scala is ten times faster than Python.
Python is not as fast as Scala.
Difficulty
Scala is less difficult to learn than Python.
Python is easy to learn and use.
Ease of writing
It isn't easy to write code in Scala.
It is easy to write code in Python.
Concurrency
Scala has multiple standard libraries, and hence Scala supports strong concurrency primitives.
Python does support heavyweight process forking and doesn't support multithreading.
Performance
The data types are not decided during runtime.
The data types are decided during runtime.
Support
Scala has good community support but less than Python.
Python has huge community support compared to Scala.
Project Scale
Scala can be used for large-scale projects.
Python can be used for small-scale projects.
Advanced Features
Scala can interact with the Hadoop ecosystem perfectly.
Python cannot interact or interrogate with Hadoop smoothly compared to Scala.
Simplicity
Scala is in demand because of its scalable and concurrent systems.
Python is in demand because of its English- like syntax.
Scalability
Scala provides a scalable feature, which makes it easier for developers working on large-scale projects.
Python doesn't provide scalable features.
Tools
Scala has no tools to work on machine learning and Natural Language Processing(NLP).
Python has proper tools for data science and libraries for machine learning and NLP.
Testing
Scala is a statically typed programming language, so testing is much easier and better in Scala.
Python is a dynamically typed programming language, due to which testing processes and methodologies are much more complex in Python.
Platform
Scala applications are run in JVM.
Python language has a lot of platforms like CPython.
Scala is a statically typed programming language that combines object-oriented and functional programming features to design applications.
Which is better, Scala vs Python?
It isn't easy to decide which is better, Scala or Python. The language selection depends on the project needs and other aspects mentioned in the article. Scala is used for large-scale projects, and Python is used for small projects. So it totally depends on the developer to choose between Scala vs Python.
What is Scala used for?
Scala is ideal for backend code, software development, and web design. If you are using Java, you can use Scala instead. Companies that are using Scala are LinkedIn, NASA, Netflix, etc.
Explain some characteristics of Python Language.
Python is an Interpreted, high-level language. It has English- like syntax and fewer syntactic constructions which makes it more demanding among the users.
What is the advantage of using Scala over other functional programming languages?
Scala has some features like scalability, maintainability, and testability which makes it advantageous to use in comparison to other functional programming languages.
Conclusion
Here we come to the end of our article on Scala vs Python. It can be concluded that the language selection entirely depends on the project's needs. Both Scala and Python have their pros and cons, which differentiate them from each other.
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