Python is a high-level programming language that is object-oriented and has easy-to-remember syntax. It was developed in 1991 by Guido Van Rossum and further augmented by the Python Software Foundation. Python supports modules and packages that promote code reuse. The programming language’s extensive library is available without charge for all major platforms.
Applications of Python include GUI-based desktop applications, Web frameworks and applications, enterprise applications, operating systems, language development, prototyping, and software development. Python is used by companies like Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Mozilla, Microsoft, and Cisco.
In this blog, we will discuss why Python is an ideal language for web development.
Use of Python for Web Development
Web Development involves building, creating, and maintaining websites, which include the front end, which interacts with the client, and a back end, which interacts with the database and contains business logic. Python has a very low entry threshold for web development, but it is a powerful programming language with many capabilities and a highly active community. Python offers many frameworks for web development, like bottle.py, Flask, CherrPy, Pyramid, Django, and web2py. Python with the Django framework is the most affordable option for developing web applications.
The Advantages of Developing Web Applications in Python
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Easy-to-Learn
Python is most popular with beginners who are learning to code as it is based on common expressions and whitespace. It is very similar to the language we use every day, so we can easily understand the code. You need to write significantly less code compared to other languages like Java or C++.
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Fast Prototype Development
As compared to other programming languages, Python takes significantly less time to build your projects; ideas come to life a lot faster, and you can gather feedback and iterate faster. This is perfect for start-ups that can hit the market earlier than others and get a competitive edge.
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Community Support and Libraries
Python has a vast ecosystem of library tools and packages, allowing access to pre-written code. For example, you get access to Numpy and Pandas for mathematical analysis. The language also provides useful Web development course frameworks like Django and Flask.
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Wide-spread Popularity
Python has communities all over the world and gets updated with new features and libraries. It provides unparalleled support for beginners who are still learning the tricks of the trade. It also provides excellent documentation and support, especially for new developers.
The Python Web Frameworks
A web framework is like a toolbox, with a collection of packages and modules having prewritten standardized codes to develop web applications. This makes the code more reliable and scalable. The web frameworks of Python are used only in the backend for server-side technology like accessing databases and for Web security. Using a web framework is recommended because it cuts down on the development time of complex web applications. Let’s discuss some of the popular web frameworks.
Django
Django is a web framework that provides a clean, practical design and is fast, secure, and scalable. It offers strong community support and detailed documentation. Giants using Django include Instagram, Pinterest, Spotify, and Dropbox.
Flask
Flask is a minimalist web framework that does not have as many features and functionalities like a web template engine, account authentication, and authorization that Django offers. The basic concept of Flask is that it provides only the basic components that you need to build an app, and everything else is flexible. It is lightweight, so you add extensions and libraries as needed while coding. The framework is being used by companies like Netflix, LinkedIn, and Uber.
Pyramid
Pyramid is the fastest known web framework for supporting small and large projects. It is designed for deployment in multiple environments. The framework has built-in sessions and provides transaction management. It has been created with extensibility in mind, which means that if a Pyramid developer keeps certain constraints in mind while building an application, a third party can change the application’s behavior without any need to modify the source code.
Web2Py
It is an open-source web application framework for Python that allows developers to program dynamic web content using Python. This saves time as there is no need to develop web forms from scratch. It was initially meant to be a teaching tool and therefore does not have project-level configuration levels. It runs on Windows, Windows CE phones, Amazon EC2, Mac, Unix/Linux, and Google App Engine. Some of the applications built on Web2py include Ourway, Instant Press, Movuca, NoobMusic, LinkFindr, and StarMaker.
Having discussed the popular frameworks of Python, let’s discuss some useful Python libraries for Web development.
Scrapy: It is a web crawler that can be used to extract data for your application. This library is widely used for scraping, automated testing, data mining, and more.
Zappa: It is a powerful library for building serverless applications on AWS Lambda.
Requests: It is a library that allows you to send HTTP requests easily, which is done to communicate with an application.
Dash: It is used to develop web applications that are associated with data visualization. It is built on Flask and offers features like charts, graphs, and dashboards.
Step-by-Step Procedure for Developing Website Using Python
Step 1: HTML + CSS
For beginners who are just starting with web development, you should first learn HTML and CSS, as these are the fundamentals for building websites. Learn how to structure responsive static web pages and CSS frameworks like Materialize or Bootstrap, which can speed up development.
Step 2: JavaScript
The next step is to focus on JavaScript and learn basic concepts like data types, variables, general conventions, control statements, loops, etc. This will help you when you are applying JavaScript to the client-side code.
Step 3: DOM & jQuery
After you learn Javascript fundamentals, learn how to manipulate the DOM and jQuery, which is a Javascript library that makes DOM manipulation easier.
Step 4: Python
It’s time for the back end, and you have to learn the basics of Python in the same way as Javascript. Learn Django so that you can go ahead with your tasks straight away.
Step 5: Django + Database
With Django, you can set up your backend environment and develop business logic. Along with this, learn databases like SQLite and how to make queries. Thus, you can create a full-stack application.
To Summarize…
Python is an easy programming language to learn and code with as the syntax is very similar to everyday language. With in-built frameworks, libraries, and community support, development is much faster as compared to other programming languages. Frameworks, especially Django, make web development with Python much more straightforward. Websites developed with Django are scalable, fast, and secure at the same time. All these features make Python an ideal language for web development.
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