DANE: Why should I use Python/Jython for things other than ML?

[Lanny Gilbert]

Python is GREAT for doing Machine Learning, due to many factors, the number of supporting libraries available being foremost to me. Other than that, why would I want to use Python/Jython over Java, given that I’ve been using Java for 20 years. What class of problem(s) would Python/Jython be a better choice to use?

Thanks!

[Lanny Gilbert]

This question is for Dane specifically, and everyone else in general  

[Dane Hillard]

Hey Lanny, I can't speak too heavily to this as I don't have deep experience with Java. As is the case with most programming languages, both Python and Java can solve similar classes of problems. For me it comes down to what you and your team are comfortable with, what you already know, and so on.

[Liutauras Vilda]

Lanny Gilbert wrote:Other than that, why would I want to use Python/Jython over Java

Not all the time you can choose the tool you want or are most comfortable with. Sometimes it gets dictated by the environment you are working in - i.e. cloud environments, let's take as an example AWS (Amazon) and GCP (Google) this time.

These days isn't uncommon to use AWS Lambdas and GCP Cloud functions to achieve certain tasks on the cloud or orchestrate some bigger systems, and so the Java isn't the language supported by both providers, while Python is - that is the one real example why you'd want to learn Python to some extent.

Over the past 5 years or so it gained a lot popularity.

[Dane Hillard]

Great point! Popularity of languages often shapes the ecosystem around them, sometimes leading to lack of support at all for some languages in a major offering. Python is being picked up in more places, while Java is (for better or worse) being left out of more places.

[satya Priya Sundar]

Python is GREAT for doing Machine Learning, due to many factors, the number of supporting libraries available being foremost to me. Other than that, why would I want to use Python/Jython over Java, given that I’ve been using Java for 20 years. What class of problem(s) would Python/Jython be a better choice to use?

We were in similar situations before , if you are so inclined and look for opportunities with in your space you would find a
need to use /mix and match other programming languages and tools, case in point,we used lot of python scripting for
various tasks that we do repeatedly with in our delivery practice ,ours is on complete Java eco-system.

Thanks
Sathya