By - Jan 01, 1970
Ruby and Python are the new-generation, high-end, server-side languages that help developers write simpler, crisper, high-performing code. With their powerful coding abilities, flexible coding styles, and readability, both Ruby and Python allow developers to build powerful applications. The dynamic nature of both these programming languages helps developers build applications that can run on any software environment or operating system.
Despite all their similarities, some key aspects set Ruby and Python apart. Where Python continues to focus on its readability through its syntax, Ruby’s programming patterns offer better flexibility, which reads more like natural languages.
So, which one programming language among these two is better suitable for your business application? However, before we proceed with the comparison, let us learn a few important things about the two programming languages.
Ruby is a general-purpose, dynamic programming language designed by Yukihiro Matsumoto in order to improve development productivity in 1995. As an object-oriented programming language, Ruby focuses on the OOP principles like functional, reflective, and imperative programming. The syntax of Ruby offers the benefit of dynamic typing, which allows data manipulation or changes of variable data during the run time of any program.
Ruby also manages application memory and storage by using its automated garbage collection feature. This feature saves developers time from manually allocating data and memory. Another interesting feature of Ruby is Monkey Patching or MP. This feature allows developers to make dynamic modifications to classes at run time.
Pros and Cons of Ruby
Advantages of Ruby
- Ruby is an open-source programming language
- Based on Object-oriented programming principles
- It can be integrated with different operating systems
- Rapid application development
- Readable, flexible, and easy to manage
- Its clean syntax makes the learning curve smoother for beginners
- Modifications can be made on inbuilt classes
Disadvantages of Ruby
- Debugging codes written in Ruby can be complicated
- Does not have many application areas other than web application
- Ruby does not have a good library collection, limiting its use cases
Python is also an object-oriented programming language, popular for its versatile use cases, ease of learning, readability, and coding simplicity. Being an open-source programming language, Python with its libraries, tools, and modules can be used by developers without any licensing fees.
Another benefit of Python programming is its vast collection of libraries with versatile use cases. This enables developers to write feature-rich applications for their development projects. The Python syntaxes are also easy to maintain, making the post-deployment work a lot more convenient for the Python developers.
Pros and Cos of Python Development
Advantages of Python
- Object-oriented programming language
- Open-source, doesn’t require a licensing fee to use the Python libraries, tools
- Versatile use cases, libraries support web applications, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Machine Learning, Data Analysis, Scientific computing, and many other development scenarios.
- Scalability to accommodate the development requirement as per the changing business demands
- Readability and maintainability make development and future maintenance work comfortable
Disadvantages of Python
- The dynamic writing feature of Python often leads to excessive bugs when running the application
- Applications written in Python tend to have a slower runtime than those written in Java or C++
- Python is not optimized for mobile application development which can be a concern when building business applications
Availability of Multi-dimensional Frameworks
Python is a programming language comprising a large collection of frameworks that supports developers build applications with diverse features using its modules and tools. Python frameworks like Django, Flask, CherryPy, NumPy, etc. enable programmers to create web applications for various use cases including AI-ML, web development, scientific computing, and so on. The Python frameworks also improve the scalability of the programs as per the enterprise demands.
On the other hand, Ruby has few options when it comes to its libraries and is heavily reliant on Rails (Ruby on Rails) for all its syntaxes and development works.
Reusability
Python’s software repository PyPi offers Python developers a collection of in-built, ready-to-use modules or pieces of code to be reused on their applications. These reusable modules can be categorized into different elements based on the development specifics. This feature of Python modules enables developers to access these modules faster and better.
Ruby also offers ready-to-use code snippets with its programming features, called Gems. However, the absence of the filtering factor makes accessing these Gems complicated.
Syntax and Readability
Python syntaxes are easy to read, and clean, and are built by focusing on its readability. The indentation of block structures used in Python programming helps in code simplification while making it easier for beginners to learn and write codes using Python syntaxes.
Ruby, on the other hand, focuses on simplification of the coding syntaxes to help the programmers read the codes like a natural language.
Scalability & Performance
Python’s wide library collection allows developers more room and provides the needed elements to scale the application written using the language. The available libraries and resources in Python enable developers to scale their applications up or down based on the changing business scenarios.
In contrast, Ruby’s limited options in the library and Gems restrict the ability to scale an application. Ruby developers need to write longer and more complex codes to support the business requirements with time.
So, with Ruby’s limited scalability, it is more suitable for small or medium-sized applications whereas Python is a better choice when building an enterprise application with complex business needs.
Maintenance: Ruby vs Python
Once an application is released for public use, developers need to continue the maintenance work to ensure a smooth run for these web applications. Python’s readability and general practices make maintenance easier for programmers.
On the other hand, though maintainable, Ruby’s principles focus more on its flexibility, development speed, and rapid prototyping.
When choosing the IDE for your business, you will first need to understand the demands of your business. The important parameters for deciding the right IDE would be the available resources, the size of your business, the required features of the application, and the support your business will need in the future.
Python is an open-source programming language and most of its libraries, IDEs, and tools are available for free, making them a cost-effective choice for your business. Some of the popular IDE options for Python include Pycharm, JuPyter Lab, Visual Studio Code, Spyder, Thonny, etc.
Similarly, most Ruby IDEs are also available for free with an extended paid version. A few notable Ruby IDEs are RubyMine, Atom, Sublime Text, and VS Code.
With all the above-mentioned points, the development choice relies on your business’s size, requirements, and available resources. While choosing the right development language, consult an expert with all the data points for the best result. However, it is essential to hire Ruby or Python developers with the right skills and experience to achieve the most significant outcome.
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