Python or JavaScript - Which One Should YOU Learn?

Summary

This video script offers a concise comparison between Python and JavaScript, emphasizing their suitability for different development areas. It highlights that both are beginner-friendly, in high demand, and can lead to tech careers. JavaScript is better for front-end development and user interfaces, while Python excels in back-end, data analysis, and AI. The script advises choosing a language based on project type or job interest, noting that learning one makes learning the other easier, and encourages starting with one to then expand skillsets as needed.

Takeaways

• 😀 Both Python and JavaScript are beginner-friendly and in high demand, making them excellent choices for those starting in programming.
• 🔄 It's common for developers to learn one language first and then quickly pick up the other, as they complement each other well.
• 🔧 Both languages are dynamically typed, offering flexibility in writing code but may not be best for large applications or performance-critical tasks.
• 📚 Learning one language will not teach you a drastically different set of features than the other; syntax differences are relatively easy to learn.
• 🖥️ JavaScript is more focused on the frontend, enabling the creation of visual user interfaces and websites.
• 💡 If you're aiming for a frontend or full-stack developer role, JavaScript is the recommended language to learn first.
• 🔢 Python is more backend and data-focused, making it ideal for AI, automation, machine learning, and data analysis tasks.
• 🛠️ Frameworks and libraries are crucial for building large applications, with JavaScript having popular frontend frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular, and Python having libraries like pandas, numpy, and scikit-learn.
• 🔑 Knowing the type of projects you want to build or jobs you're interested in can guide your language choice, as certain languages and tools are more suited for specific tasks.
• 🛠️ Despite their specialties, both languages are versatile and can be used to build a wide range of applications, though they may not always be the most efficient choice.
• 🛑 The speaker suggests that if you're unsure, pick one language, learn the basics, and transition to the other if needed.
• 📈 The speaker offers resources for learning both languages, including free videos and a premium software development course with a specialization track.

Q & A

Which programming language should one choose to start learning, Python or JavaScript?

The choice between Python and JavaScript depends on what you want to build or the area of development you want to specialize in. Both are beginner-friendly and in high demand.

What are the similarities between Python and JavaScript mentioned in the script?

Python and JavaScript are both beginner-friendly, relatively easy to learn, in extreme demand, and can lead to a career in tech. They are also dynamically typed, which makes them flexible but not the best for large applications or performance-critical tasks.

Why is it beneficial to learn both Python and JavaScript according to the script?

Learning both Python and JavaScript is beneficial because they complement each other well. Most developers learn one first and then quickly learn the other, as the basics can be easily transferred between the two languages.

What type of projects is JavaScript more suited for based on the script?

JavaScript is more suited for front-end development, creating user interfaces, and making visually interactive applications. It is also the language to learn for front-end or full-stack developer positions.

What are some popular front-end web frameworks associated with JavaScript mentioned in the script?

Some popular front-end web frameworks associated with JavaScript are React, Vue, and Angular.

What type of projects is Python more suited for according to the script?

Python is more suited for back-end development, data analysis, AI automation, machine learning, automation tasks, and scripting. It is not as easy to create front-end or visual applications with Python.

What are some popular libraries and frameworks in Python for data science and automation tasks?

Popular libraries and frameworks in Python for data science and automation tasks include pandas, numpy, scikit-learn, and natural language toolkits.

What advice does the script give for someone unsure about which language to learn?

The script advises to pick one language, learn the basics, and then it will be easy to switch to the other language if needed. It also suggests looking at the languages, frameworks, and packages used for the projects or jobs of interest.

How does the script describe the role of frameworks and libraries in learning a programming language?

The script describes frameworks and libraries as external tools that are used to create applications. They are particularly important when building large applications and are often in demand as their own skill alongside the base programming language.

What is the script's perspective on the general purpose nature of programming languages?

The script emphasizes that all programming languages are tools to achieve something, and knowing one allows you to build many different types of applications. It also mentions that just because a language is not the best at a certain task doesn't mean it can't be used for it.

What resources does the script recommend for learning Python and JavaScript?

The script recommends free videos on the author's channel for learning the basics and a premium software development course with course careers for a more serious and committed approach to learning programming.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Choosing Between Python and JavaScript

The video script discusses the decision between learning Python or JavaScript, emphasizing that the choice depends on the type of projects one wants to build or the area of development one wishes to specialize in. Both languages are beginner-friendly, in high demand, and can lead to a career in tech. The speaker suggests sticking with whichever language one is currently learning, as they are great complements to each other. They are dynamically typed, which makes them flexible but potentially less suitable for large-scale or performance-critical applications. The main difference lies in their typical use cases: JavaScript is more focused on front-end development, creating visual interfaces and websites, while Python is better for back-end development, data analysis, AI, and automation. The speaker also mentions that learning one language doesn't preclude learning the other later, and that most developers learn both.

05:01

🛠️ General Purpose and Frameworks in Programming

The second paragraph continues the discussion on Python and JavaScript, highlighting their versatility as general-purpose languages. It mentions that while both can be used to build a wide range of applications, they have their strengths in different areas. For instance, Python can be used for web development but is not the best choice for front-end tasks, which are better suited for JavaScript. Conversely, JavaScript is not ideal for data analysis and machine learning tasks, which are Python's forte. The paragraph also touches on the importance of frameworks and libraries associated with each language, such as React, Vue, and Angular for JavaScript, and pandas, numpy, and scikit-learn for Python. The speaker advises learners to consider the type of projects they want to work on and the job roles they are interested in, as this will influence the language and tools they should learn. The video concludes with a recommendation to start learning one language and then transition to the other as needed, suggesting that learning the basics of one makes it easier to pick up the other later.

Keywords

💡Python

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its readability and concise syntax. It is widely used for web development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and scripting. In the video, Python is presented as a language that is particularly suited for backend development, data analysis, and automation tasks, emphasizing its strength in handling data and its role in machine learning and AI.

💡JavaScript

JavaScript is a programming language primarily used for enhancing web pages with interactive elements. It is an essential part of web development, allowing for front-end manipulation and user interface creation. The video script highlights JavaScript's role in front-end web development, its use in creating interactive websites, and its importance for front-end and full-stack developer positions.

💡Beginner friendly

The term 'beginner friendly' refers to the ease with which new learners can start with a particular programming language. Both Python and JavaScript are described as beginner friendly in the script, suggesting that they have simple syntax and are accessible to those new to programming, making them suitable choices for a first language to learn.

💡Dynamically typed

Dynamic typing is a feature of programming languages where the type of a variable is determined at runtime. The script mentions that both Python and JavaScript are dynamically typed, implying that they offer flexibility in writing code without the need to explicitly define variable types, although this may not be ideal for large applications or performance-critical tasks.

💡Front-end development

Front-end development focuses on the user interface and user experience of a website or application. The video script discusses JavaScript's strong association with front-end development, as it is used to create visual elements and interactive features on web pages, making it a key skill for front-end developers.

💡Back-end development

Back-end development involves server-side processes, databases, and application logic that users do not directly interact with. Python is highlighted in the script as a language that is more focused on back-end development, particularly in areas such as data analysis, AI, and automation, where server-side processing is crucial.

💡Frameworks

In the context of programming, a framework is a platform that provides pre-written code to make the development process faster and more efficient. The script mentions JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular, which are used for building scalable front-end applications, and Python frameworks like Django and Flask, which are used for back-end development.

💡Libraries

Libraries in programming are collections of pre-written code that can be used to perform certain tasks without having to write the code from scratch. The video script refers to Python libraries such as pandas, numpy, and scikit-learn, which are essential for data science and machine learning tasks, and contrasts them with JavaScript libraries that are more focused on front-end development.

💡Career

The term 'career' in the script refers to the professional path one might choose in the field of programming. The video discusses how the choice between Python and JavaScript can influence the types of careers one might pursue, such as front-end development with JavaScript or data analysis with Python.

💡Specialization

Specialization in programming refers to focusing on a specific area of development, such as front-end or back-end development. The script suggests that after learning the fundamentals of programming with either Python or JavaScript, one can then specialize in areas like front-end, back-end, or DevOps, depending on their interests and career goals.

Highlights

The choice between Python and JavaScript depends on what you want to build or specialize in.

Both languages are beginner-friendly, in high demand, and can lead to a tech career.

Developers often learn one language first, then quickly learn the other.

Both languages are dynamically typed, offering flexibility but potentially lacking in performance for large applications.

Learning one language won't teach you drastically different features from the other.

JavaScript is more focused on front-end development and creating visual interfaces.

Python is better for back-end, data analysis, AI, automation, and scripting.

Frameworks and libraries are essential for building large applications and differ between the languages.

JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular are popular for front-end web development.

Python frameworks like pandas, numpy, and scikit-learn are tailored for data science and automation.

Knowing one language allows you to build many types of applications, even if it's not the best at it.

Programming languages are tools; pick the best one for the job you want to perform.

It's common to learn JavaScript first and then learn Python for specific tasks.

If unsure, pick one language to start with, and it's easy to transition to the other later.

The speaker offers free videos and a premium software development course for learning these languages.

Transcripts

Python or JavaScript,

which should you learn.

Let me break it down for you

as simply as possible.

Ultimately,

what's going to determine

the language you pick comes

down to what

you want to build or what

area of development

you want to specialize in.

Both languages

are great choices,

but what they're best,

that differs quite a bit.

So let's start with

what's the same

for both languages?

They're both beginner friendly,

relatively easy

to learn in extreme

demand, and can lead

you quite quickly

into a career in tech.

Either is a great choice

to start with

and if you're already

learning one, I'd recommend

stick it out.

Get the basics down

and then you can easily switch

to another language afterwards.

In fact, most developers

I know, including myself,

will learn

one of these languages first,

then very quickly after,

learn the other one.

They're great complements

to each other,

so if you're already

learning JavaScript,

stick it out.

If you're already

learning Python,

stick it out,

and then later on

you can very quickly

pick up the other language.

Now, another

thing you need to know

is that both of these languages

are dynamically typed.

Now, to put it simply,

what that means is

they're a little bit

more flexible to write code in,

but they may not

be the best choice

for really large applications

or anything

that's performance critical.

But what that does mean

is that learning

one of these languages

is not going to teach you

a drastically different

set of features

than the other one.

So rest assured,

if you pick JavaScript,

almost everything you know

is probably going to apply

to Python.

Same with Python.

Most of what you learn

there is going to apply

to JavaScript.

The main difference will be

some specific syntax features

that you can pick up

pretty quickly.

So picking the wrong

language is not

a massive mistake

and at the end of the day

you just want to get started,

but it'll give you

some information that can help

you make that decision.

So now let's

get into the main differences,

keeping in mind

what I said before,

that you want to focus

on the outcomes

and the type of projects

you can build.

So with JavaScript,

you're going to be working

a lot more on the front end.

It's going to be

a lot more visual

and you're going to be able

to create user interfaces,

make websites and immediately

just make more visual,

intractable applications

compared to a language

like Python.

If you're someone

who wants to land a job

and you're

looking at frontend developer

positions or full stack

developer positions,

JavaScript is 100%

the language

that you should be learning.

It very quickly

allows you to interact

with HTML and access,

and by learning JavaScript

as a product of that, you're

probably going to learn

a bit more about HTML, CSS

and frontend web

development in general.

Now to compare

that with Python, Python's

a lot more focused

on the back end,

and with data, it's

really big for data analysis.

So if you're someone

who's interested

in AI automation, machine

learning, backend web

development, automation tasks

or scripting

Python is going to be

your go to

is definitely not

as easy to create front

end or visual

applications with Python.

However, the tasks

that I listed,

it's really, really good at

and you'll find it

a little bit easier

to make those type

of applications

with a language

like Python

compared to something

like JavaScript.

Now, at this point

we definitely need to discuss

frameworks and libraries,

which kind of go hand-in-hand

with the language

you're learning

when you're just starting out.

Picking either

Python or JavaScript

isn't going to make

a huge difference.

The curriculum

is going to be very similar.

You're going to be learning

pretty much the same topics.

And the main thing

that's going to differ

is the syntax

and really the way in

which you write code.

But that's something

you can learn pretty quickly

and going between different

languages, you'll very easily

pick up the differences

in syntax.

The major differences

are going to come

when you want to actually start

building out large applications

and you'll realize

you need to use

some external tools.

Now, these are

typically referred

to as frameworks,

libraries or packages.

They all have kind

of a slightly

different meaning,

but in this case

we'll group them together.

Now, each language

that I mentioned here,

Python and JavaScript,

have a different set

of very popular

frameworks and libraries

that are used

to create applications.

For example, with JavaScript,

we have things like React, Vue,

Angular, right?

These are really popular

frontend web frameworks

that make it really easy

to build

large, scalable applications,

and they're typically in demand

as their own

skill alongside JavaScript.

So if you want to be

a front end web developer,

you're probably going

to need to know

something like React,

and that means what

you would have had to know

JavaScript write to be able

to work with React.

Now with Python,

we have popular frameworks

specifically for data science

or for automation tasks.

So things like pandas, numpy,

CI kit, learn.

We have

natural language toolkits.

All of these types of things

are really

more ingrained in Python

and they don't necessarily

exist for JavaScript.

Or if they do,

they're not quite

as specialized or as in demand.

So what this leads me

to recommend

is that if you already know

the type of projects

you want to build or the jobs

you might be interested

in, go and

look at the languages,

frameworks, packages, etc.

that are being used

for those projects

or that are required

for that job,

and then see the base languages

required to use

those specific tools.

A lot of times

you'll need to know

JavaScript as a prerequisite

to learn this framework,

or you'll need to know Python

to learn this package.

So that's where I would go,

and that's really

what's going to be

the major difference for you,

the tooling you have access to

and the type of things

that you can build.

Now, with all of that

said, both of these languages

are still very general purpose.

Knowing one of these languages

allows you

to build

so many different types

of applications,

and just because

it's not the best

at it doesn't mean

you can't do it.

For example,

you can make an entire website

using purely python

and a little bit of HTML

and CC.

Now is it

going to be the best way

to do that?

Probably not.

You're likely going

to want to know some JavaScript

and use that in your project.

However, you can still do it

with Python.

It's possible

to create user interfaces.

It is even possible

to make things like mobile

apps using Python.

It's just not recommended

or what

it's really meant for

JavaScript.

Same thing.

You can go and build

machine learning applications,

you can do data analysis,

you can graph

all kinds of numbers,

but it's not going to be

the best with JavaScript

compared to

something like Python

or Python is more designed

for that type of task.

At the end of the day,

all programing languages

are tools

to help you achieve something.

So you need to pick

the best tool for the job.

And that's why it's difficult

when you're starting out

to make this decision,

because you might not even know

the type of jobs

that you want to perform.

Now, what will

mostly end up happening

is you'll learn JavaScript

and then you'll realize, Hey,

there's this thing I want to do

that's kind of better

in Python.

You might try to do it

in JavaScript,

but at this point

you're probably good enough

of a programmer

that you can go

and learn a bit of python

and you can achieve that task.

Same thing other way around.

You might be really

good at Python,

but you want to implement

some front end user interfaces

in your application.

In that case

you may just go into CI

to learn

a little bit of JavaScript,

exactly what you need

to achieve that goal.

And this goes

for all different types

of programing languages.

That's why

my advice is figure out

the type of things

you want to build

or the type of jobs you want.

Start learning

that first language

that's most suited towards

kind of what

you think you want to do.

And as you start learning it,

you'll realize

it's relatively easy

to transition

into other languages

and you'll pick up

the different tools

that you need for

the type of jobs

that you're doing now.

At this point,

if you're still unsure.

What I would

encourage you to do

is simply pick

one of the languages.

Get started,

learn the basics,

and then you can easily change

to the other language

if you decide that

it's not right for you.

If you're looking

for some resources

to learn these languages,

I have all kinds of videos

on my channel

that you can check out

completely for free.

But if you want a more

premium resource,

you're a bit more serious

and you're really committed,

then I do actually have

a software development

course with course careers.

We've already had

some people graduate that

course and land jobs

quite quickly,

and what we do in

there is teach you

the fundamentals of programing

and then allow you to pick

your specialization track

once you've gone through that.

So if you're not sure

you go through,

you learn on the fundamentals,

then you can pick

whether you want to specialize

in front end

back end or DevOps.

And there's an

additional course

taught by an industry expert.

Free of charge,

you simply pick it

once you graduate.

The fundamentals

which is taught by me.

Anyways,

you guys can check that out

from the link

in the description.

If you enjoyed the video,

make sure they look.

Subscribe to the channel

and I will see you

in the next one.