Why Use Python for Mobile App Development

According to GitHub and TIOBE, there are 253 programming languages worldwide. How to make the right choice having so many options? How to choose a language that is not only commercially in demand but also a good helper in everyday practice? How will this choice play out in the long run?

A trusted software development provider delved into the topic of programming languages and is ready to share insights about Python, one of the most popular languages today, and answer two main questions: what stands behind Python’s popularity and how it can help develop an efficient mobile application.

Python Today

Most of the most comprehensive lists of the most widely used programming languages in recent years have Python at the top. It is also recognized as one of the simplest and most universal programming languages. Indeed, it is difficult to find development areas where this programming language is not used. Let’s turn to statistics.

Python remains at the index’s top, followed by C and Java. According to TIOBE, an index that evaluates the prevalence of programming languages, Python continues to hold the top spot it first took back in October 2021. In August 2022, Python gained 2% popularity compared to July and registered a record market share of 15.42%.

Among its main capacities are the following:

• Enhanced performance.
• Intuitive writing and reading.
• Развитая официальная документация и учебные пособия.
• Developed official documentation and tutorials.
• An interpreted language runs code line by line and reports errors sequentially, making debugging easier.
• Easy integration with web services.
• Extensive native library and simplified export with a built-in Python package manager (pip).
• Python can scale even the most complex applications.
• It’s ideal for prototyping and quick testing.

Role of Python in Mobile App Development

The scope of Python is quite broad: from web technologies to NASA projects. Python runs almost everywhere, from handheld computers and smartphones to web servers and on almost every platform. Thanks to the Kivy and BeeWare frameworks, Python is also actively used to develop applications for iOS and Android. Let’s have a look at the key benefits of Python development for mobile apps.

Easy-to-learn language

Unlike other languages, Python’s syntax is largely clear and simple. Reading code is like reading classical literature without technical terms. This means that it is accessible even to those with no prior knowledge of a programming language. By the way, about 22% of Python developers have less than a year of programming experience.

Streamlined development

Python enables you to develop relatively quick code. Many developers build a part of the application in Python to speed up development.

Libraries

Python has been around for so long that developers have been able to create custom libraries for just about any purpose. For example, NumPy for working with multidimensional arrays and high-level matrices, SciPy for calculations in engineering, Scikit-Learn for working with artificial intelligence, or Pandas for exploring, analyzing, and manipulating data.

If you need to solve some computational problem, it is likely that there is already a special Python library for it.

Test-driven development

The language supports test-driven development, enabling developers to generate mobile app prototypes. Moreover, developers can also get assistance in refactoring the code to build new apps from prototypes.

An essential role in the Big Data world

We live in the era of big data, and huge amounts of information appear in the world every second. Due to its strengths, including many libraries, Python is often regarded as one of the best tools for dealing with large amounts of data.

Is Python the Right Choice for You?

As we can see, Python is not just a way to create a quick and crude prototype or programming language for beginners. It is a powerful tool used by multi-billion dollar corporations and extremely talented web developers worldwide. Many developers consider Python to be a true Swiss army knife.

The popularity of Python is a big argument in favor of using it to develop mobile applications. However, despite all the advantages, the language also has disadvantages compared to other mobile technologies. For example, Python programs are inferior in speed to applications written in Swift. In addition, Python is heavily dependent on system libraries.

If you want to create a mobile or web application using Python or another programming language, contact a trusted technology partner that can guide you in choosing the best option for your company’s needs.