Which is better: C or Python?

Python Server Side Programming Programming

In this article, we will explain the features of both python and C and their uses and differences. So, let us decide which one is better either python or C.

Python

Python is a high-level, object-oriented, dynamic, and multipurpose programming language i.e multi-paradigm language. Python's syntax, dynamic typing, and interpreted nature make it an excellent scripting language.

It supports a variety of programming paradigms, including object-oriented, functional, and procedural styles. Additionally, because it is an interpreted language, it cannot be converted to computer-readable code before running

Python is an open-source high-level programming language. Guido van Rossum initially released it in 1991. Python 3.8, which was published in October 2019, is the most recent version. However, Python 3.7 remains the most popular.

Another distinct property of Python is that it is an interpreted language, which means that Python code is not translated to machine-readable at runtime. Despite the fact that the majority of Python's usage revolves around its simple syntax, Python is involved in some crucial tasks.

Features of Python

Python is simple to learn and has a clear syntax.
It is extensible to a greater extent.
It is free, open-source, and cross-platform.
Python is an object-oriented programming language(OOPs) with high readability and reliability.
Python can be used for prototyping and testing code that will subsequently be utilized to create a full-fledged application using higher-level languages.
It comes with a large standard library that includes XML parsers excel interface and so on.

Uses of Python

Data analysis and machine learning— Python is frequently utilized in modern technologies such as Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Python's support for multiple libraries makes it ideal for developing machine-learning models.
Web development
Automation or scripting
Software testing and prototyping
Game development
Language development
Data visualization
Finance
Programming Applications
Everyday tasks
It is a popular language in robotics and is often used for Robotic Process Automation.

What is C?

Dennis Ritchie developed C at Bell Laboratories between 1972 and 1973. C is one of the oldest general-purpose programming languages, and it was created to build Unix utilities and was used to re-implement the Unix operating system's kernel.

C is used in the construction of a variety of firmware and portable systems in the present world. C has many features, including structured programming, lexical variable scope, and recursion, as well as a static type system.

C is also referred to as a middle-level language because it combines features of both high-level languages (programming languages that allow programmers to write programs that are more or less independent of a specific type of computer) and low-level languages (programming languages that provide little or no abstraction from a computer's instruction set architecture, that is, commands or functions in the language map that are structurally similar to processor's instructions).

C is a procedural language with several characteristics such as structured programming, lexical variable scope, pointers, and so on, which helped it achieve popularity at the time of its release.

Features of C

C is a structured programming language i.e, structured programming is a programming paradigm aimed at improving the clarity, quality, and development time of a computer program by making extensive use of structured control flow constructs of selection statements such as if, then, else, and repetitive statements such as while and for, block structures, and subroutines
It is extremely simple to learn.
C is an efficient programming language, which means it is fast and has excellent performance because it is compiled.
Because it is not linked to any hardware or system, C is a highly portable and adaptable programming language. Without changing a single line of code, any C code can be run on any machine that supports C.
C includes a large number of built-in operators and function libraries.
It is a modular language, which means that it focuses on splitting a program's functionality into independent, interchangeable modules, each of which contains everything needed to execute only one part of the required functionality.

C Vs Python

The following is the differences table between C and python −

Parameters	C	Python
Introduction	C is a general-purpose, procedural programming language.	Python is an interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language.
Speed	When compared to interpreted programs, compiled programs run faster therefore C is faster.	When compared to compiled programmes, interpreted programs run slower. so, python is slower than C.
Type of language	C is a middle-level language since it combines machine and high-level languages.	Python is a high-level language because Python code is translated into machine language using an interpreter.
Syntax	The syntax of C is harder than Python.	Easy syntax. Python makes it easier to develop code because the number of lines is less.
Built-in functions	C has a very limited number of built-in functions	Python has a large number of built-in functions
Memory Management	In C, Memory management has to be done manually	In Python, memory management is handled automatically by the Garbage Collector.
Pointers	C supports pointers.	Python does not support pointers.
Applications	Used for hardware-related applications.	It is a General-Purpose programming language.
Declaration of variables	The variable type must be declared when it is created, and only values of that type must be assigned to it.	There is no need to declare the variable type. Python variables are untyped. During program execution, a particular variable can be stuck on values of different types at various times.
Error Debugging	Since C is a compiler-dependent language, error debugging is tough. This means that it compiles the full source code and then displays all errors.	In python, Error debugging is simple. This means that it only takes one instruction at a time and compiles and executes it at the same time. Errors are displayed immediately, and the execution is halted at that instruction.
Usage of Data Structures	To use various data structures in C, such as stacks and queues, we must implement them ourselves.	Data Structures are easier to use in Python because it has built-in libraries for them.
Complexity	The syntax of a C program is more difficult than that of Python.	Python program syntax is simple to understand, write, and read.
Robust	less robust	more robust
Function renaming mechanism	C does not have a mechanism for renaming functions. This means that the same function cannot be called by two different names at the same time.	Python supports the function renaming mechanism, which allows the same function to be called by two different names.

Which is better: C or Python?

This is a question with multiple answers depending on the situation and application. If the programming language must provide greater performance and be utilized in systems where speed and performance are important, C is probably a better choice than Python.

Python, on the other hand, is a general-purpose language that can be used for simplicity of development and in circumstances where code reusability is important. In other words, if there are standard libraries or critical features that must be utilized repeatedly, Python may be the superior choice of the two programming languages.

Which Should I learn first: C or Python?

It is generally determined by the user's use case. If you want to create apps where speed and performance are critical, C is a superior alternative.

Python, on the other hand, maybe the preferable option in most other use cases, such as Natural Language Processing, Software Engineering, Machine Learning, and so on, due to the numerous libraries it provides.