Python vs. JavaScript
JavaScript and Python are two of the most popular programming languages on Earth. JavaScript is the most powerful and well known language of the front-end. Python is, in my mind, its back-end equivalent. Both are incredibly powerful, but look very different. Both have powerful libraries and frameworks attached to them, such as React for vanilla JS or Django for Python. Their syntax is very different, as Python is typically easier to read and understand at a glance. Python is also much more Object-Oriented, which means the code is organized by objects and less by functions. I typically prefer JavaScript, simply because functional programming makes more sense to me. However, I do love the simple syntax of Python and its readability.
Python is more similar to JavaScript than what I originally thought. Most of the logic is the same (thank you Pseudocode). In some ways, Python seems easier to read and understand to me, as the syntax is so much simpler and easier to recall. I think the major issue for me will be understanding what Python is doing along the way. With javaScript, I could really see it in action. I could create a function to convert a temperature to Fahrenheit and quickly display it on the screen. Python is a little different. Most of the work is what the end-user never sees, so I have to debug and think through in a different way than I have before. Still, I love the simple language and syntax of Python, and hope that will make the transition into back-end development easier for me.
In our Bootcamp, we started with JavaScript after learning some basic mark-up and styling with HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap. I am glad we started with JavaScript. With JavaScript, you can really see its functionality on the front-end. For example, if I want to use some vanilla JS code to create a dynamic restaurant menu, I can actually see the menu items displayed upon click. I can test if it works, based entirely on only what I see. Of course, there are other better ways to debug your code. As a beginner though, it is really nice to have that visual representation of what your code is doing. That was essential for me at the beginning of the bootcamp. Python looks easier. It is easier to read, easier to understand. Still, Python is on the back-end so you can’t always see what your code is doing. Having JavaScript first really helped me to understand the syntax and complexity of code. Personally, I think JavaScript is harder to understand. It is more difficult to create, read and understand. You are better off starting with the more difficult syntax, because then Python will seem like a breeze! It isn’t, but it might help make the transition to a new language easier. Also, JavaScript is incredibly powerful. It can do just about anything on the front-end, and it’s so powerful for a new bootcamp student. Starting with JavaScript is so beneficial for a plethora of reasons, so I am very glad we learned vanilla JS first, before moving into React and then eventually Python. I’m a huge sports fan, so one of my favorite apps is Bleacher Report. The other day, I was thinking about how their data was set up. They have a huge desktop website, and a beautiful mobile set-up. I did a little bit of research and learned that they have a huge database of sports data, and even use programming languages like Elixir to build their site’s functionality. While a lot of their database structure is still confusing to me, I definitely feel like I have a better understanding of database management in general based upon my week in SQL. I really enjoyed SQL. It is, for me, easier to understand and grasp than many programming languages. Manipulating data tables definitely has its challenges, but I can generally get the jist of it pretty quickly. I would love to work on a database management system in the future, especially something I find interesting like a sports database. Only time will tell!
