Looking with a new perspective at a technology you are already familiar with is very interesting. And what’s more interesting than comparing the two best available options – two most powerful technologies which are also listed as the most popular and widely used programming languages too. Making such comparisons will provide you with more detailed insights to decide which option will be more suitable for your development project.
So we are going to measure Python vs .NET Core (C#). We will first understand how it works, its benefits and then we will compare both options against some parameters. It will also enable us to make a choice of the best .NET development services as per customer needs. There is a legit question that is bound to arise that python is a programming language and .net core is a web framework that supports multiple programming languages then why compare both when they don’t have a similar ground to stand on?
Many developers are seen switching to python from C# and vice versa as both technologies allow rapid product development with quality performance. They both have steep learning curves. So in a way, both C# and python are competitors. And that makes choosing between both of them a challenging task.
Overview of C#
C# is a programming language that follows the tradition of C and C++ constructs but the difference here is that it’s modern and easy to learn. Microsoft has created this object-oriented programming language which has a lot in common with Java. you can compile the code of C# on various platforms. The scripting language comes in with a wide range of features like –
- Component-oriented
- Modern syntax; easy to learn
- Automatic garbage collection
- Integration with .NET framework
- High-level structured language
- Rich standard library
The C# language has a basic structure that is very similar to Java and C++. It has a namespace declaration, main method, a class definition with variables and methods.
Benefits of C# object-oriented programming language
C# programming language is integrated with one of the powerful development technology i.e. .NET framework. Now if you have a basic understanding of the Java language and want to make a shift to .NET then getting familiar with C# will give you the necessary headstart. Some common benefits of using C# are as mentioned below-
- Type-safe code, C# doesn’t allow unsafe casts
- Structured programming language
- Simple, robust, and scalable
- Fast compilation and execution time
- Supports language interoperability
Overview of Python programming language
Similar to CPython is also a general-purpose programming language and most of its features are similar to that of Java and C. Though this language has high-level programming capabilities, it is very easy to learn. It is also portable.
Some may wonder why create new programming languages when we already have so many good ones. Well, then the answer is that Python is created from other languages. It consists of all the other high-level programming languages. Having the best features of all the most popular programming languages, we can say that python is a dynamically typed language i.e. type checking is done during runtime.
Another important thing you need to know about Python is that it is very easy to make changes to an existing legacy system using this programming language. Some of the best features that python offers include –
- Easy to code, port, maintain, and read.
- Supports automatic garbage collection
- Supports structured programming as well as object-oriented programming.
- Consists of a rich library that is portable and compatible with different platforms such as Mac, Unix, and Windows.
Whatever we can accomplish using the 10 lines of C# code can be achieved in only 2 lines of python code. And coding in python almost feels like you are writing in English. But it is important to note that no semicolons are used in python at the end of every line. Also, if you want to add any comment, you have to use # instead of /* which is used in C#. There is neither any particular type declaration nor any string name in the code. And no imports too. So that’s the kind of high-level programming capabilities python possesses.
Few benefits of Python
- You can use the Python Package Index or PyPI to interact with the other set of languages or platforms. PyPI provides third-party modules to accomplish this feat.
- Because python is created under an open-source license. Python is free to use and distribute.
- Python renders a rich standard library with web service tools, OS interfaces, and many more.
- This programming language is competent enough for network apps that use multiple protocols.
Comparison of C# and Python
Static vs dynamically typed programming languages
Now, as we discussed, C# is a statically typed language. For the wrong typescripts, the compiler will show errors. Meanwhile, Python is a dynamic type casting and doesn’t need any type of variable declarations. Now how does it affect the software development process?
When you are using C#, you will need an additional step to compile which is tiresome for developers. It not only takes more of their time in testing and debugging but it also negatively affects their productivity. Meanwhile, a compiler will find errors before it even creates any profound impact on the development process. But in the case of Python, the entire process is very easy. And it also runs immediately so it’s fast too.
Performance
In terms of performance, there is a huge difference between python and C#. Now, being an interpreted language, the speed of python will mostly depend on its interpreters like CPython and PyPy. On the other hand, C# is compiled language. Writing code with it demands more time and effort but it will eventually increase efficiency and performance. C# also comes with a common language infrastructure that helps you with fast development and increases overall performance. So in short, C# is better at performance in comparison to Python.
Ease of use
The origin of C# comes from the patterns of the object-oriented programming model. So if anyone has experience or even basic knowledge on how to use java can easily get around with C#. Also, if you want to master the Microsoft platform for app development then also it becomes necessary for you to learn C#.
But with Python, you don’t need any prior experience or knowledge of any other programming language constructions as to its syntax. The language is so unique that the developers can learn by engaging in the development process itself. On the contrary, you cant start using C# without having basic knowledge about language constructions like functions, and classes. For python sometimes it just takes a single line of code.
Web Development Speed
Python programming language is based on a principle called DRY or Don’t Repeat Yourself. The sole aim of this principle is to generate maximized quality code with lesser effort. The syntax in Python is much simpler than that of in C#. Also, the developer doesn’t have to finish each line of code in python by using a semicolon. The language has a lot of whitespaces making it clear and easy to read.
Application
Both languages, C#, and python are embellished to fulfill general purposes of development. You can use them for almost everything from game development to IoT or the Internet of Things. If there is anything where they have huge differences then it is only one thing and that is machine learning.
Python is already one of the most popular choices for machine learning applications because it helps developers with a lot of resources like videos and tutorials. Python also provides a tremendous majority of software choices including SciPy, PyTorch, Apache Spark, and many more. But when it comes to C#, it only has to offer ML.NET and other old libraries such as Accord.NET and bindings for TensorFlow.
Final Thoughts
Now as we have come to the end of this article Python vs C#, allow me to ask you a question – which one is better for your project? It is indeed a very challenging task to decide which one is better. Both languages serve different purposes. Their tools are also very different so it was hard to compare so I have left it out from this comparison.
But from the parameters we discussed here is necessary from a perspective to the success of a product like its applications, ease of use, performance, and more. And it was derived that both offer great performance, both have the support of strong active communities, both languages come with a variety of libraries, and most importantly both Python and .NET Core are widely used around the world.
So to conclude it all, I would just say that if you are looking for a language that is easy to learn, would help you with neat but fast coding, that has large open-source libraries, or has great machine learning applications then you must pick Python.
But if you want a language that can help you enhance the performance or efficiency of your product, have consistent formatting rules, Syntax, and offers outstanding Microsoft integrations then C# would be a better option for you.
About the Author
Dhruv is an experienced software development professional who is very passionate about working with advanced technologies and frameworks. He also likes to share his expertise by writing detailed technical blogs which help the community overcome various development-related problems.