Difference between Python and JavaScript


JavaScript makes webpages interactive. JavaScript with HTML and CSS improves webpage functionality. JavaScript validates forms, makes interactive maps, and displays dynamic charts. The JavaScript engine in the web browser runs the JavaScript code when a webpage is loaded, which is after HTML and CSS have been downloaded. The HTML and CSS are then changed by the JavaScript code to update the user interface on the fly.

JavaScript code is run by a program called the JavaScript engine. At first, JavaScript engines were built like interpreters. Modern JavaScript engines, on the other hand, are usually built as just-in-time compilers that turn JavaScript code into bytecode to make them run faster.

Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language. Python is used for web development, Machine Learning, and other cutting-edge software. Python is suitable for both new and seasoned C++ and Java programmers. Guido Van Rossam created Python in 1989 at Netherlands' National Research Institute. Python was released in 1991. Beginners should learn Python.

Read through this article to get an overview of Python and JavaScript and how these two programming languages are different from each other.

What is Python?

Python is an object-oriented, dynamic, interpreted language. High-level data structures, dynamic type, and binding make it a strong choice for Rapid Application Development.

  • Python's syntax is straightforward. Its focus on simplicity reduces program maintenance costs.

  • Python modules and packages help divide up projects and reuse code.

  • The Python interpreter and extensive standard library can be downloaded for free on all major platforms. They're also free.

  • Python programmers may simply resolve errors because segmentation faults never occur from defects or improper input. The interpreter throws an exception if an error occurs. Unhandled exceptions cause the interpreter to print a stack trace.

  • A source-level debugger lets you view local and global variables, evaluate expressions, set breakpoints, and more. Python's debugger shows how well it can examine itself. Adding print statements to the source code is the fastest way to detect errors. This rapid loop of edit, test, and fix works wonderfully.

Using Python, we can perform −

  • Web development

  • Data analysis and machine learning

  • Automation and scripting

  • Software testing and many more

Features of Python

Here is a list of some of the important features of Python −

  • Easy to learn − Python has a simple structure, few keywords, and a clear syntax. Codes written in Python are easier to read and understand.

  • Easy to maintain − The source code for Python is pretty easy to keep up with.

  • A large standard library − Most of Python's library is easy to move around and works on UNIX, Windows, Mac.

  • Portable − Python can run on a wide range of hardware platforms, and all of them have the same interface

Example on Python

Take a look at the following sample Python code −

a = int(input("Enter value for a : "))
b = int(input("Enter value for b : "))
s = a+b

print("The number you have entered for a is ", a)
print("The number you have entered for b is ", b)
print("The sum of {} and {} is {}".format(a,b,s))

In our example, we have taken two variables "a" and "b" and assigning some value to those variables. Note that in Python, we don’t need to declare the datatype for variables explicitly, as the PVM will assign the datatype as per the user’s input.

  • The input( ) function accepts keyboard input. In Python, the return type of input( ) is string, thus we must convert it explicitly. In our example, we converted to int using int( ).

  • print( ) is used to display the output.

  • .format() is a function used to format the output in python.

Output

On execution, this sample Python code will produce the following output

Enter value for a : 10
Enter value for b : 20
The number you have entered for a is 10
The number you have entered for b is 20
The sum of 10 and 20 is 30.

What is JavaScript?

JavaScript is used to develop websites, web apps, games, and more. It adds dynamic content to webpages that HTML and CSS can't. Many browsers utilise JavaScript to modify site content.

JavaScript creates clickable drop-down menus, supplementary page content, and dynamically changing page colours.

Without JavaScript, only HTML and CSS were web-friendly. HTML explains a web document's structure and content. CSS formats a website's content. HTML and CSS are called markup languages rather than programming languages because they mark up static content. JavaScript is a dynamic programming language that lets you do things like calculate math, add HTML content to the DOM, make style declarations get content from another website, and a lot more.

Example of JavaScript

JavaScript can be used in HTML in multiple ways.

JavaScript in <body>

Let’s see an example of how a JavaScript code can be written in HTML tags with some attributes that are based on JS.

<body>
   <script type="text/javascript">
      document.write("JavaScript inside <body>………</body> tag");
   </script>
</body>

The document.write() function is used to show the content that changes over time.

Output

The above code will produce the following output

JavaScript inside <body>………</body> tag

JavaScript in <head>

If you want a script to run when something happens, like when a user clicks somewhere, you can put the script in the head like this −

Example

<html>
<head>
   <script type = "text/javascript">
      function msg () {
         alert("Javascript Inside <head> tag")
      }
   </script>
</head>

<body>
   <p> Click the Below button </p>
   <input type = "button" onclick = "msg()" value = "alert!" />
</body>
</html>

In the above example, we are creating a button named "alert!" inside the body tag with some text. The function msg() will be called when you click the "alert" button. The function message which is a JavaScript function declared inside the <script> tag in the <head> section.

Output

The above code will produce the following output

The message JavaScript inside the <head> tag will be displayed on clicking the "alert" button.

External JavaScript

Separate files can contain JavaScript code. To use JavaScript from an external file source, include the ".js" file with the HTML file. Let’s take an example to see how it works.

We are creating an external JavaScript file called "display.js" that will display some message in the alert dialog box.

display.js

function display () {
   alert("External javascript file display.js")
}

Now include this JavaScript file into and HTML page. It will call the display() function on click of the button.

Index.html

<html>
<head>
   <script type = "text/javascript" src="display.js"></script>
</head>

<body>
   <p> Click The Below button </p>
   <input type = "button" onclick = "display()" value = "alert!" />
</body>
</html>

Difference between Python and JavaScript

The following table highlights the major differences between Python and JavaScript −

Basis of Comparison
Python
JavaScript
Procedural Programming
Python has many parts of a procedural programming language.JavaScript does not have procedural programming.
REPL (ReadEval-PrintLoop)
When you install Python on your system, you have access to REPL.JavaScript lacks a REPL. Most JS code is browser-based. Node.js includes JavaScript.system's REPL
Mutability
Python has the datatypes which are mutable and immutable like string is mutable and list is immutable.There is no concept of mutable and immutable in JavaScript
Numeric types
Python has many different numeric types like int, float, long etc.JavaScript has only numbers which are only floating point types.
Inheritance
Python has class-based inheritance model.JavaScript has prototype-based inheritance.
Performance
Software that runs on Python will take longer to work, making it less useful for the user community.JavaScript, on other hand, is more useful when analyzing the performance.

Conclusion

Python vs. JavaScript is a close call. Python is superior to other programming languages due to its simplicity of use in AI and ML. At the same time, most developers are comfortable with JavaScript, and hence it is used more often.

Updated on: 29-Jul-2022

249 Views

Kickstart Your Career

Get certified by completing the course

Get Started
Advertisements