PYTHON VS.

JAVA 1

Comparative Analysis of Java and Programming Language

By Purvi

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Abstract

Programming is using a language that a machine can understand in order to get it to perform

various tasks. Computer programming is how we communicate with machines in a way that makes

them function how we need. Computer programming is evolving and so are the languages that

are used to develop software and applications. Different programming languages are used for

different categories of developers. Some languages are best for beginners, while others are

more suited for advanced computer programmers. In addition, some languages are best for

different use cases such as web apps, mobile apps and distributed systems. The best way to

determine what programming languages to learn is to know what skills you will need in order

to be a successful computer programmer. This Paper includes a comparison of two most

popular, top-ranked, and in-demand programming languages Java and Python. This

comparison is based on features, advantages, disadvantages, syntax etc. We are to conclude

which programming language will be better for which conditions.

Keywords: Comparison, Python, Java, Programming, Language

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Introduction

We all Know and have seen what coding can do and the promises it holds. Programming is the

future. We can do many things using Programming. Unfortunately, choosing a programming

language is a major hurdle. It is necessary to have all the necessary information to make good

decision.

Among the various languages available, Java and Python are chosen for comparison in this paper.

At one hand, java is the languages which is most in-demand programming language. Many

companies strive for the java programmers. And at the other hand, Python is also in demand

because of its easy syntax and lots of functionalities provided by Python.

The first part of this paper includes overview, features, advantages and disadvantages of both

languages. The Second part is comparison between syntax of both languages. In the third part, this

paper includes the examples of some codes from both the languages and the final part includes the

conclusion and references.

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 Part: 1

Overview

 Java:

Java is a programming language and a platform. Java is high level, robust, object-

oriented and secure programming language. Java was developed by Sun Microsystems

(which is now the subsidiary of Oracle) in year 1995. James Gosling is known as the father

of Java. Before Java, its name was Oak. Since Oak was already a registered company, so

James Gosling and his team changed the name from Oak to Java. Java has its runtime

environment (JRE) and API. So, it is called platform.

- Applications of Java:-

1. Desktop applications such as acrobat reader, media player, antivirus, etc.

2. Web Applications such as irctc.co.in, javapoint.com, etc.

3. Enterprise Applications such as banking applications.

4. Mobile

5. Embedded System

6. Smart Card

7. Robotics

8. Games, etc.

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 Python:

Python is a general purpose, dynamic, high-level, and interpreted programming

language. It supports Object Oriented programming approach to develop applications. It is

very simple and easy to learn and provides lots of high-level data structures. Python is easy

to learn yet powerful and versatile scripting language, which makes it attractive for

Application Development. Python's syntax and dynamic typing with its interpreted nature

make it an ideal language for scripting and rapid application development. Python

supports multiple programming pattern, including object-oriented, imperative, and

functional or procedural programming styles. Python is not intended to work in a particular

area, such as web programming. That is why it is known as multipurpose programming

language because it can be used with web, enterprise, 3D CAD, etc. We don't need to use

data types to declare variable because it is dynamically typed so we can write a=10 to

assign an integer value in an integer variable. Python makes the development and

debugging fast because there is no compilation step included in Python development, and

edit-test-debug cycle is very fast.

- Applications of Python :-

1. Data Science

2. Data Mining

3. Desktop Applications

4. Console-based Applications

5. Mobile Applications

6. Software Development

7. Artificial Intelligence

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8. Web Applications

9. Enterprise Applications

10. 3D CAD Applications

11. Machine Learning

12. Computer Vision or Image Processing Applications

13. Speech Recognitions

Features

 Java:

1. Simple

2. Object-Oriented

3. Portable

4. Platform Independent

5. Secured

6. Robust

7. Architecture neutral

8. Interpreted

9. High Performance

10. Multithreaded

11. Distributed

12. Dynamic

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 Python:

1. Easy to use and learn

2. Expressive Language

3. Interpreted Language

4. Object-Oriented Language

5. Open Source Language

6. Extensible

7. Learn Standard Library

8. GUI Programming Support

9. Integrated

10. Embeddable

11. Dynamic Memory Allocation

12. Wide Range of Libraries and Frameworks

Advantages

 Java:

- Java is easy to learn.

Java was designed to be easy to use and is therefore easy to write, compile, debug, and
learn than other programming languages.

- Java is object-oriented.

This allows you to create modular programs and reusable code.

- Java is platform-independent.

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One of the most significant advantages of Java is its ability to move easily from one
computer system to another. The ability to run the same program on many different
systems is crucial to World Wide Web software, and Java succeeds at this by being
platform-independent at both the source and binary levels.

- Because of Java's robustness, ease of use, cross-platform capabilities and security

features, it has become a language of choice for providing worldwide Internet solutions.

 Python:

- Presence of third-party modules

- Extensive support libraries (NumPy for numerical calculations, Pandas for data
analytics etc.)
- Open source and community development
- Versatile, Easy to read, learn and write
- User-friendly data structures
- High-level language
- Dynamically typed language (No need to mention data type based on the value
assigned, it takes data type)
- Object Oriented Language
- Portable and Interactive
- Ideal for prototypes – provide more functionality with less coding
- Highly Efficient
- Internet of Things Opportunities
- Interpreted language
- Portable across Operating systems

Disadvantages
 Java:

1. Performance – Java programs take much longer time to run compared to C/C++.

2. Memory – Since Java Programs run on top of Java Virtual Machine, it consumes more

memory.

3. Cost – Since memory and processing requirements higher, hardware cost increases.

4. Low level programming – There is no support for low level programming in Java, like

pointers are missing.

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5. Garbage collection – There is no control over garbage collection in Java. That is

programmer does not have any right to control the garbage collection. Java does not

provide functions like delete(), free().

6. No Unsigned Types Unlike C/C++, Java does not support unsigned int, unsigned char,

… etc. However in Java 8, API for unsigned long and unsigned int is introduced.

 Python:

1. Speed – Python is an interpreted language and is slow as compared to C/C++ or Java.

Unlike C or C++ it’s not closer to hardware because Python is a high-level language.

As we all know that compilation and execution help to work normally, but in this case,

execution of Python takes place with the help of an interpreter instead of the compiler

as we have seen that Python code is executed line, which causes it to slow down. Speed

is a focal point for the project required by any programmer. On the other hand, it can

be seen that it is fast for many web applications too.

2. Mobile Development – However Python is strong in desktop and server platforms, that

is an excellent server-side language but for mobile development, Python is not a very

good language which means it is a weak language for mobile development. It is very

rarely used for mobile development. This is the reason very few mobile applications

are built in it like Carbonnelle, which is built-in python.

3. Memory Consumption – For any memory intensive tasks Python is not a good choice.

That is why it is not used for that purpose. Python’s memory consumption is also high,

due to the flexibility of the data types.

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4. Database Access – Python is a robust programming language with minimal stress and

worries. But, this language is highly insecure and can be used only at one’s own risk.

There are some limitations of Python with database access. In comparison to the

popular technologies like JDBX and ODBC, it is found that Python’s database access

layer is a bit underdeveloped and primitive. Is acts as a major barrier when big

enterprises look for a language that ensures smooth interaction of complex legacy data,

the Python database access layer is not applied. That is, it is less often applied in huge

enterprises.

5. Runtime Errors – One of the major drawbacks of this language is that its design has

numerous issues. Python programmers face several issues regarding the design of the

language. This language requires more testing and also it has errors that only show up

at runtime this is because the language is dynamically typed.

6. Difficulty in Using Other Languages – The Python lovers become so accustomed to its

features and its extensive libraries that they face problem in learning or working on

other programming languages.

7. Simplicity – Python is simple programming language which is also the biggest

disadvantage. It can indeed be a problem. Its syntax is very simple which makes

programmer more of python person and because of which they might feel code of

harder language like Java unnecessary. It concludes that with its late-binding dynamic

models and extensive libraries, shifting to a new language from Python gets difficult as

the user finds it difficult to adjust to its vulnerable nature and taking everything on a

light note.

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 Part: 2

Variables

 Java:

- Variable in java is a container which holds the value while the java program is executed.

A variable is assigned with a data type.

- Variable is a name of memory location. There are three types of variables in java: local,

instance and static.

1. Local Variable

A variable declared inside the body of the method is called local variable.

You can use this variable only within that method and the other methods in the class

aren't even aware that the variable exists. local variable cannot be defined with

"static" keyword.

2. Instance Variable

A variable declared inside the class but outside the body of the method, is

called an instance variable. It is not declared as static. It is called an instance

variable because its value is instance-specific and is not shared among instances.

3. Static Variable

A variable that is declared as static is called a static variable. It cannot be

local. You can create a single copy of the static variable and share it among all the

instances of the class. Memory allocation for static variables happens only once

when the class is loaded in the memory.

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 Python:

- Python has no command for declaring a variable.

- A variable is created the moment you first assign a value to it.

- Variable do not need to be declared with any particular type, and can even change type

after they have been set.

Casting

 Java:

- In Java, type casting is a method or process that converts a data type into another data

type in both ways manually and automatically. The automatic conversion is done by

the compiler and manual conversion performed by the programmer.

- There are tow types of type casting:

1. Widening Type Casting - Converting a lower data type into a higher one is

called widening type casting. It is also known as implicit conversion or casting

down. It is done automatically. It is safe because there is no chance to lose data. It

takes place when:

a. Both data types must be compatible with each other.

b. The target type must be larger than the source type.

Byte -> short -> char -> int -> long -> float -> double

2. Narrowing Type Casting - Converting a higher data type into a lower one is

called narrowing type casting. It is also known as explicit conversion or casting

up. It is done manually by the programmer. If we do not perform casting then the

compiler reports a compile-time error.

Double -> float -> long -> int -> char -> short -> byte

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 Python:

- Python is an object-orientated language, and as such it uses classes to define data

types, including its primitive types.

Casting in python is therefore done using constructor functions:

a. int() - constructs an integer number from an integer literal, a float literal (by removing

all decimals), or a string literal (providing the string represents a whole number)

b. float() - constructs a float number from an integer literal, a float literal or a string

literal (providing the string represents a float or an integer)

c. str() - constructs a string from a wide variety of data types, including strings, integer

literals and float literals

Print Function

 Java:

- In Java, System.out.println() is used to print an argument that is passed to it. The

statement can be broken into 3 parts which can be understood separately as:

1. System: It is a final class defined in the java.lang.package.

2. Out: This is an instance of PrintStream type, which is a public and static member

field of the System class.

3. Println(): As all instances of PrintStream class have a public method pritnln(),

hence we can invoke the same on out as well. This is an upgraded version of

print(). It prints any argument passed to it and adds a new line to the output. We

can assume that System.out represents the Standard Output Stream.

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- Syntax: System.out.println(parameter)

- Parameters: The parameter might be anything that the user wishes to print on the

ouput screen.

 Python:

- In Python, The print() function prints the specified message to the screen, or other

standard output device. The message can be string, or any other object, the object will

be converted into a string before written to the screen.

- Syntax: print(object(s), sep=separator, end=end, file=file, flush=flush)

- Parameter Values:

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Indentation or Curly Brackets

 Java:

- In Java, curly braces enclose meaningful units of code.

- We can separate various blocks using curly brackets in java.

- If we put curly braces in the wrong places or omit curly braces where the braces

should be, your program probably won’t work at all. If our program works, it’ll

probably work incorrectly.

- If we don’t indent lines of code in an informative manner, your program will still

work correctly, but neither we nor any other programmer will be able to figure out

what we were thinking when we wrote the code.

 Python:

- Indentation un Python refers to the (spaces and tabs) that are used at the beginning of

a statement. The statements with the same indentation belong to the same group

called a suite.

User Input

 Java:

- In Java, The Scanner class is used to get user input, and it is found in the java.util

package.

- To use the Scanner class, create an object of the class and use any of the available

methods found in the Scanner class documentation.

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- Input Types:

 Python:

- Python allows for user input.

- That means we are able to ask the user for input.

- The method is a bit different in Python 3.6 than Python 2.7.

- Python 3.6 uses the input() method.

- Python 2.7 uses the raw_input() method.

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Loops

 Java:

- Looping in Java is defined as performing some lines of code in an ordered fashion

until a condition is false. The condition is important because we do not want to be

running forever. As soon as this condition is false, the loop stops.

- In Java there are three primary types of loops:-

1. For loop

2. Enhanced for loop

3. While loop

4. Do-while loop

 Python:

- In general, statements are executed sequentially: The first statement in a function is

executed first, followed by the second, and so on. There may be a situation when you

need to executed a block of code several number of times.

- Python programming language provides following types of loops to handle looping

requirements:

1. While loop: Repeats a statement or group of statements while a given condition is

TRUE. It tests the condition before executing the loop body.

2. For loop: Executes a sequence of statements multiple times and abbreviates the

code that manages the loop variable.

3. Nested loops: You can use one or more loop inside any another while, for or

do..while loop.

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File Handling

 Java:

- The File class from the java.io package, allows us to work with files.

- To use the File class, create an object of the class, and specify the filename or

directory name.

- The File class has many useful methods for creating and getting information about

files:

 Python:

- The file-handling implementation is slightly lengthy or complicated in the other

programming language, but it is easier and shorter in Python.

- In Python, files are treated in two modes as text or binary. The file ma be in the text or

binary format, and each line of a file is ended with the special character.

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- Hence, a file operation can be done in the following order.

1. Open file

2. Read or write – Performing Operation

3. Close the file

- File accessing mode:

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 Part: 3

Examples

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 Part: 4

Conclusion

- Python and Java are two of the most popular and robust programming languages. Java

is generally faster and more efficient than python because it is a compiled language.

As an interpreted language, Python is Simpler, More concise Syntax than Java. It can

Perform the same function as Java in fewer lines of code.

- In Python, any bugs introduced by the programmer will not be found until that line of

code is triggered. This can risk operational breakdowns and extend turnaround time.

While Python leaves objects vulnerable to mutation, in Java object mutations is

impossible. This leads to secure software development.

- Java’s efficiency largely comes from its Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler and support for
concurrency. The JIT compiler is a part of the Java Runtime Environment. It
improves performance of Java programs by compiling bytecodes into native machine
code “just in time” to run. Java Virtual Machine (JVM) calls the compiled code
directly. Since the code is not interpreted, compiling does not require processor time
and memory usage. Theoretically, this can make a Java program as fast as a native
application.
- While Java programs are compiled directly, Python is interpreted which slows down
Python programs during runtime. Determining the variable type which occurs during
runtime increases the workload of the interpreter. Also, remembering the object type
of objects retrieved from container objects contributes to memory usage.
- So, After considering all the details mentioned above as per my personal opinion,

Java is slightly better than Python as Java provides more security and also it is

slightly more popular and in-demand Programming Languages.

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References

 Websites:

1. www.geeksforgeeks.org

2. www.javapoint.com

3. www.w3schools.com

4. www.tutorialspoint.com

5. https://www.gcu.edu/blog/engineering-technology/computer-programming-

importance

6. https://www.aalpha.net/blog/factors-to-consider-when-choosing-a-programming-

language/

7. https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aix/7.1?topic=monitoring-advantages-java

8. https://www.dummies.com/article/technology/programming-web-design/java/what-

are-curly-braces-in-java-154015

9. https://data-flair.training/blogs/loops-in-java/

10. https://www.snaplogic.com/glossary/python-vs-java-performance

 IRJET – Comparative Analysis of Python and Java for Beginners

(IRJET: International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology)

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