JavaScript Vs Python: The complete difference

Both JavaScript and Python are the most popular programming languages with a lot in common. But the major difference between JavaScript and Python is that JavaScript is used for user-facing functionality such as web pages. Whereas, Python is used for developing scientific applications. Yet, there is a lot to learn about JavaScript Vs. Python. Stay tuned, we will unfold every key difference between Python and JavaScript in this blog post.

Here are the topics you’ll learn in this article:

• What is JavaScript?
• What is Python?
• JavaScript Vs Python: Advantages
• JavaScript Vs Python: Disadvantages
• Python Vs JavaScript: Features
• JavaScript Vs Python: Applications
• Comparison Table of JavaScript and Python
• Major Differences Between JavaScript and Python
• When to use JavaScript?
• When to use Python?

What is JavaScript?

JavaScript, also known as JS, is a lightweight, Just-in-time compiled, and object-oriented programming language used for making web pages and web applications. It was initially used for browsers and web pages. Now, it has spread to multiple environments and applications.

JavaScript is a high-level programming language that conforms to ECMAScript standards. According to Wikipedia, 97% of websites use JavaScript on the client-side for creating a better user experience.

JavaScript was first introduced by Netscape in September 1995 and was named LiveScript. Later on, in the same year, they changed its name to JavaScript because it was generated from Java.

What is Python?

Python is an object-oriented and interpreted programming language with dynamic semantics. It is easy to read as well as easy to implement. It is a suitable language for simple as well as complex programming, which makes it an ideal choice for Rapid Application Development.

Python was created by Guido Van Rossum in 1980 at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI). Python supports the modules and packages that encourage python developers to reuse their code.

JavaScript Vs Python: Advantages

Like all languages, JavaScript and Python have their own set of advantages. Let’s take a look at the comparison of JavaScript and Python based on their benefits.

Advantages of JavaScript

Many of the JavaScript advantages relate to its execution in the client’s browser. Also, there are other ways to use JavaScript and leverage its benefits as a server-side language. So we have listed out the top advantages of JavaScript for you.

Interoperability

Unlike PHP, JavaScript also can be included in any web page. Also, JavaScript works with other programming languages such as Node.JS and Ruby, and as a result, it is preferred by developers. You can easily embed it into the script of different programming languages

Simple and easy to learn

JavaScript is one of the simplest programming languages. Its structure is easy to use for users as well as for developers. Its syntax was derived from Java making it easy to implement compared to other languages like C and C++.

Rich interface

JavaScript provides multiple functional and maker interfaces to programmers for creating engaging web pages. It can create features like drag and drop and components such as sliders. This also improves user interactivity on web pages.

Speed

The JavaScript runs immediately with the client’s browser, as a result, it has high speed. As long as it does not require external resources, JavaScript does not slow down by calls to a backend server. Whereas major browsers support Just In Time (JIT) compilation for JavaScript. It means that there is no need to compile the code for running it.

Server load

JavaScript is client-side, reducing the load and demand on the server. Data validation can also happen on browsers rather than sending it to the server. In case of issues, there is no need to load the whole website. The browser updates only selected sections.

Versatility

JavaScript can now be used in the frontend as well as the backend. NodeJS can be used in the backend, while AngularJS and ReactJS can be used in the frontend. Thus, JavaScript benefits in creating an entire application.

Large community

All browsers and other languages support JavaScript, as it has large community support. JavaScript is one of the most popular languages and is used by reputed companies like Amazon, Paypal, Google, Etc.

Extended Functionality

Developers can extend the functionality by writing snippets for third-party extensions and add-ons. One of the most common examples of this is Greasemonkey. It is a user script manager available as an extension in Mozilla Firefox.

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Advantages of Python

Like JavaScript, the Python programming language has its own advantages. Here are the top advantages of Python.

Easy to learn and understand

Python is a high-level programming language and has syntax similar to English. It makes it easy to read and understand the code for beginners. Compared to other languages like C, C++, and JavaScript, the same tasks can be done with fewer lines of code in Python. This is why Python is recommended for beginners, as it is easier to learn.

Supportive community

Python was developed years ago and has vast community support. Whether you are a beginner or an expert in Python, support help is always available from the Python community. On the other hand, there are a lot of resources, guides, tutorials, and documents available on Python. This helps you to understand the language faster and better.

Massive and extensive libraries

Python has enormous built-in libraries, and you can find any function that you need in your programming. This is what makes Python language independent of external libraries. It also has a hugely supportive community and corporate sponsorship.

Productivity

One of the most crucial advantages of Python is its high productivity. Due to the simplicity of the language, developers can focus more on solving problems. They do not need to spend their valuable time on syntax and behavior. Thus, Python can easily solve complex issues with less time and effort.

Interpreted language

Python is an interpreted language which means it executes the code directly and line by line. In case, if there is an error, it stops further execution and reports back the error. Python only shows the first error if there are multiple errors making debugging easier.

Flexibility

The advantage of Python over other languages is that it offers you high flexibility so you can try new things. You can create many different types of AI, ML, and Data analytics related applications using Python. It does not restrict you in any way from trying new things.

Open-source

Python has an OSI-approved open-source license. This means it is free to use and distribute. With Python, you can download source code and do the modifications as you want. This feature is useful when you wish to use a ready-made piece of code and save time.

JavaScript Vs Python: Disadvantages

Whether it be any language in the world, it always has two sides. With so many advantages, both JavaScript and Python come with their own set of disadvantages. Here they are –

Disadvantages of JavaScript

Compared to its advantages, JavaScript has very few disadvantages. Let’s take a look at them below –

Client-side security

Since the code is visible to the users on the browser’s side, sometimes it can be used for malicious activity. Also, there are chances of your source code being used without authentication. Besides, it is very easy to place some code into the site that comprises data security over the websites.

Browser support

Though server-side scripts produce different outputs, sometimes different browsers interpret JavaScript code in different ways. Though these differences are minimal nowadays, you need to test your code in all other browsers.

Lack of debugging

Some HTML editors support debugging of code, but they are not as efficient as C/C++ or Python editors. In contrast, browsers do not show errors, making it difficult for JavaScript developers to debug them.

Single inheritance

JavaScript supports only single inheritance. The functionality of multiple inheritance is not supported in JavaScript making it difficult for the developers.

Disadvantages of Python

Though Python is among the most popular and widely used programming languages, it has some sort of disadvantages. Here is the list of the most common disadvantages of Python –

Inefficient memory

Python consumes a lot of memory because it is a dynamically typed language. It offers simplicity to programmers and consumes a very high amount of memory. Thus Python is not suitable for such applications for which you are looking for better memory optimization.

Weak for mobile computing

Python is generally a server-side programming language, and we do not see Python on the client-side or in mobile applications. This is because it has high memory consumption and is slower in speed, which is a drawback for mobile apps.

Speed

Python is slower than JavaScript because it is an interpreted language and is dynamically typed. The line-by-line code execution often leads to slower execution. Besides, there is a need to do additional work at the time of the execution process.

Runtime errors

Python language is dynamic and allows you to change a variable’s data type at any time. A python variable that holds an integer value may hold a string value in the future. This causes runtime errors for Python. Thus developers need to do testing several times.

Database interaction

It is easy to code in Python, but Python lacks behind when it comes to interacting with databases. It has a primitive and underdeveloped database layer compared to other programming languages. Large enterprises need smooth interaction with data, which is why Python is not much used in enterprises.

Now that you know about the advantages and disadvantages of JavaScript Vs python, let’s move towards the different features they offer –

Python Vs JavaScript: Features

Python is a dynamic, interpreted, and high-level programming language. It supports both object-oriented programming as well as procedural-oriented programming. There are a lot more Python features to know.

Features of Python

Here is the list of Python features –

Object-oriented programming language

One of the key features of Python is that it is an object-oriented programming language. It supports OOP concepts like classes, objects, polymorphism, inheritance, and encapsulation. This OOP concept helps Python developers to reuse code and develop it in low code.

Interpreted language

Python is an interpreted language which means the code is executed line by line. So if there is an error in any line, Python stops there and points the error before moving further. This makes debugging easy for the programmer.

Runtime memory allocation

Python is a dynamically typed language. This means that the value is assigned to variables at runtime. Due to this feature of python, you don’t need to specify the type of variable.

Portability

Python is a portable language. You can run Python code on any platform. Suppose, if you have a code written in Mac and want it to run on any other Operating System (OS) such as Windows or Linux, you do not need to change it.

Integrated language

Python is an integrated language. It allows you to integrate with languages like Java, C++, and C. This is because Python interprets the code line by line. Unlike other languages, we do not need to compile the entire code.

Embedded Language

Python allows you to embed the code of other languages in your programs. Also, we can use the source code of Python in many other programming languages. Thus Python can be used with multiple languages.

GUI support

Python features have a considerable number of frameworks for cross-platform development. The GUI feature of Python allows you to create graphical user interfaces. With the use of Tkinter, PyQt5, wxPython, PyQt4, and Kivy, you can create GUIs easily.

Features of JavaScript

Here is a detailed outline of the features of JavaScript –

Autodetection of browser

JavaScript automatically detects which browser and OS are being used. Although JavaScript can run on any platform and browser, sometimes we need the browser information for fluent processing. This is helpful when different code blocks give different results depending upon the browsers.

Light-weighted

JavaScript is one of the most lightweight scripting languages developed for data handling only on the client side. Because it is a general-purpose scripting language, it has a limited set of built-in libraries. Hence lightweight nature is one of the best features of JavaScript.

Independent of platforms

Since browsers interpret JavaScript, there is no issue of compatibility. Thus it can run on any platform, including Macintosh and any Netscape supported systems. Also, you can embed JavaScript in any other language like HTML.

Input validations

JavaScript has a handy feature of input validation. It is mostly used when you are creating Forms. It has capabilities to validate the input and highlight the errors. If any user leaves the required field empty or fills in a piece of incorrect information, JavaScript points out the error before sending data to the server.

Client-side calculations

As JavaScript is a totally client-side scripting language, it can perform some tasks directly on the browser. As a result, the browser does not have to send requests to the server every time.

Better control

JavaScript does not entirely rely on web servers, so the browsers have better control. It also helps in reducing load and server traffic with its additional features. Thus, JavaScript is one of the most browser-friendly languages.

Property shorthand

Inbuilt features like .get() are given in the JavaScript. This JavaScript feature allows you to use a previously written code block whenever needed. These inborn features in JavaScript really help in time and cost-saving.

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Let us move to the application of both JavaScript and Python –

JavaScript Vs Python: Applications

Both JavaScript and Python have their own relevant features. Let’s take a look at them one by one –

Application of JavaScript

Here are the top essential features of JavaScript –

• JavaScript allows you to make scalable and secure applications.
• Server-side technologies like MongoDB, Express.JS, and Node.JS are totally
• based on JavaScript.
• JavaScript is used in jQuery, AngularJS, Ember.JS, and ReactJS.
• These languages are based on JavaScript.
• It is used in Dynamic Single Page Applications (SAPs) for the frontend.
• JavaScript is used for mobile app development using React Native.

Application of Python

Here are the major applications of Python –

• Python is the most preferred language for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deep
• Learning, and Machine Learning(ML).
• It is used for graphical applications.
• Python is applicable for database applications.
• XML processing is done through Python.
• One of the most promising applications of Python is Ad hoc programming.
• The common applications of Python are rapid prototyping and web scripting.

Comparison table of JavaScript and Python

Here is a table of comparisons for JavaScript Vs Python –

Criteria	JavaScript	Python
Mutability	JavaScript has no concept of mutable or immutable.	Python has mutable and immutable data types like the set is mutable and the list is immutable.
Attributes and properties	JavaScript objects have properties that can be composed of underlying attributes.	With the use of getter setter functions, Python allows defining an attribute using the descriptor protocol.
Code blocks	JavaScript uses curly brackets.	Python works with indentation.
Strings	JavaScript is encoded as UTF-16, and there is no inbuilt support for manipulating raw bytes.	Source code is ASCII by default in Python.
Inheritance	JavaScript follows a prototype-based inheritance model.	Python uses a class-based inheritance.
Data types	JavaScript has an inbuilt array.	Python has two similar data types and lists.
Numbers	JavaScript has only floating-point numbers.	Python has different numeric types like int, float, and fixed-point decimal, etc.
Modules	JavaScript comes with a limited number of modules such as date, math, JSON, etc.	Python has a wide range of modules compared to JavaScript.
Functional argument	JavaScript does not care about the syntax and the exact parameter, as any missing parameter gets an undefined value.	Python raises an exception when a function is called with an incorrect parameter.

Major Differences between JavaScript and Python

The major differences between JavaScript and Python are:

• Python is a high-level programming language focused on emphasizing code readability. Whereas JavaScript is a language that conforms to ECMAScript standards.
• Python is used for both desktop and web applications. Meanwhile, JavaScript is a client-side scripting language.
• JavaScript is used to create interactive web pages, and Python is used for Rapid Application Development.
• JavaScript is more preferable for native and web applications. Python is more focused on AI, Ml, and complex mathematical operations.
• JavaScript is a good fit for mobile applications while Python is not.
• The average salary of JavaScript developers in the USA is $107,529, and the average salary of Python developers is $120,225 per year.
• Python is strongly typed, whereas JavaScript is weakly typed.
• JavaScript can be used to run on the frontend, whereas Python is used on the server-side or the backend.
• Python is designed to make the coding easy. Whereas JavaScript is comparatively more complicated.
• In terms of speed, Python is slower than JavaScript.
• Python has a huge standard library compared to JavaScript.
• JavaScript does not rely on differences between variables and assignments. At the same time, Python heavily relies on it.
• Python has inbuilt libraries for scientific computing, machine learning, and data analytics, while there are no such libraries in JavaScript.
• There is an inbuilt REPL (Read-eval-print-loop) in Python but not in JavaScript.
• JavaScript runs on both server and client. But, Python only runs on server-side programming.
• Python is easy to learn and has more job scope in the current industry compared to JavaScript.
• JavaScript can inherit from instances, but Python does not have any such feature.

When to use JavaScript?

JavaScript is a better choice for developing web and mobile applications. This is because it directly executes on the browser and works with high speed. It is also a better choice for web development because it works well with HTML and CSS.

If you are looking for speed or memory optimization, JavaScript is the best choice. It is generally recommended for client-side use.

When to use Python?

Python is a good choice for those who want to include complex features and modules in their application. You can definitely use Python for data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data visualization, game development, and other complex mathematical calculations.

The advanced applications that can deal with data can be made with Python. Also, the libraries given in Python are helpful to implement the majority of features with ease. Generally, Python is recommended for server-side use.

Conclusion

Both Python and JavaScript are powerful languages with their own real-world applications. Python is used for scientific purposes and a wide range of applications. On the other hand, JavaScript is used for mobile and web applications.

Both languages have their own use cases, advantages, disadvantages, and features. Though there are several differences between both languages, you can achieve almost everything with both of them.

We hope the above-mentioned JavaScript Vs Python differences have now cleared your mind, and you’ll easily be able to choose one depending upon your requirements. As both languages are capable of writing powerful programs.

In case if you still have any queries, you can ask us in the comment section or Contact Us. Our experts are always ready to help you out.