What is the difference between Python and C++?

We know Python and C++ are among the most used programming languages. They are both powerful and have a wide range of applications, from web development to scientific computing. But as a newbie, you might wonder which one you should learn to excel in your career path. Don’t worry, let’s dive deeper to understand which programming language is best for you!

Introduction

First of all, let’s have a quick overview of these programming Languages.

Python is a high-level, interpreted, object-oriented programming language created by Guido Van Rossum in 1991. It is well-known for its simplicity/easiness of use while writing code. Python is also well-known for its great features, such as large libraries which support several programming standards, such as functional, procedural, and object-oriented programming.

Bjarne Stroustrup developed the powerful general-purpose computer language C++ in 1979. It was an expansion of the C language and was known as “C with classes”. Given that it is an object-oriented programming language, programmers may create modular code that can be applied to other systems.

Now let’s have a detailed comparison of the differences between Python and C++.

Python

Syntax

The syntax is similar to programming language grammar. It specifies how code should be written and arranged.

The principles that describe how a Python program is written and structured are referred to as Python syntax. It offers basic syntaxes that are easy to learn, allowing us to produce programs with fewer lines of code and save time. Python syntax standards include using a double colon after functions such as if, while, for, and so on. “#” is used for comments, “tab space” for indentation, etc.

Compilation and Speed

Code produced in a high-level language is converted into computer-readable machine code through the process of compilation.

Python is an interpreted language, so prior to execution, code is not compiled. Instead, Python code is run through an interpreter, which converts it line by line into computer-understandable commands. Line-by-line reading and execution of interpreted code slow down Python’s compilation speed.

Memory Management in Python

It is the process of allocating, deallocating, and managing memory to ensure that programs run correctly and efficiently.

Python automatically handles memory management. The Python interpreter manages memory by allocating and deallocating it as needed. This means that Python programmers do not have to worry about memory management.

Salient Features of Python

Some of the great features python provides are as follows:

• It is a platform-independent language, an open-source language, and it can run on any platform.

• Python can be integrated with other programming languages like Java, C, C++, etc.

• A wide collection of modules and codes are present in the Python libraries.

• Python also supports dynamic type checking (which means no need to declare the data type beforehand) and dynamic data types.

• The scope of a variable in Python can be used inside and outside the function.

Applications of Python

Some of the Applications or Uses of Python in the technology field are as follows:

• Python is used in modern-day technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence.
• Python is used by Data Scientists, Data analysts to handle, arrange, create, and analyze large data sets in big tech companies.
• Python is also the most preferred language to code robots, used in Robotic process automation.
• Web developers use python to develop web applications because Python offers the Django framework, which helps to easily create full-fledged websites.
• Big Product-Based Companies like Instagram, Spotify, Amazon, and Google use the Python language.

Python Developer Salary

Python developers are more sought after outside of India; according to salary.com, an abroad python developer earns $96,756 per year or approximately $8063 per month. According to ambitionbox.com, Indian Python developers earn approximately 4.4 lakhs per year. 

C++

Syntax

C++ syntax refers to the rules governing the structure of a program. In comparison to Python, writing code in C++ is a little bit hard because of the different syntax which is less user-friendly. These rules include the use of curly braces, the use of semicolons, and the use of comments.

Compilation and Speed

When you compile C++ code, the compiler directly converts it into machine code, which is a set of instructions that the computer understands and executes. An executable file is a file where machine code is kept. Once the code has been built, it can execute significantly faster than if it had been interpreted in Python. Compiled code is executed all at once, which makes C++ faster than Python.

Memory Management in C++

Memory management is done manually in C++. Memory allocation and deallocation are the responsibility of the programmer. This is possible with the new and removed operators. Failure to correctly manage memory can result in memory leaks, causing programs to function slowly and consume more memory than necessary.

Salient features of C++

Some of the great features C++ provides are as follows:

• C++ is a portable, fast, and efficient language. It also allows dynamic memory allocation.
• C++ is a powerful OOPs language that helps developers design complex software systems efficiently.
• C++ is well-known for strongly supporting software engineering principles such as data abstraction and object-oriented programming.
• C++ is also commonly used to create system-level and middleware software such as operating systems, databases, and network protocols.

Applications of C++

Some of the Applications or Uses of C++ in the technology field are as follows:

• Game development engines like Unity, UnrealEngine, etc. use the C++ language as their source code because it can handle 3D game complexities more effectively.
• C++ is utilized in embedded systems found in gadgets such as smartwatches, car media players, IoT devices, and so on.
• Because of its closeness to hardware, C++ is also utilized to create compilers for many programming languages.
• C++ is used by large product-based organizations such as Adobe, YouTube, Microsoft, Apple, and others to construct powerful software applications.

C++ Developer Salary

Since Indian employers prefer C++ over Python, according to salary.com abroad, C++ developers earn $77,552 per year, which is approximately $6,462 per month. While Indian C++ developers earn ₹7,23,107 per year, according to Glassdoor.com.

Difference between Python and C++ 

TL;DR? Here is a summary of the key differences between Python and C++.

Python	C++
Easy-to-understand, user-friendly syntax.	A little bit complex, with hard syntax conventions.
Programs can be written with a few lines of code.	It requires more lines of code to make the same program.
.py is the extension for Python code.	.cpp is the extension for C++ code.
Python is an interpreted language and performs dynamic type checks, making it slower during compilation.	C++ is pre-compiled first which makes it compile faster than Python.
Python supports garbage collection which allows Python to handle memory management automatically.	C++ does not support garbage collection, which makes users manually manage memory, and this makes C++ susceptible to memory leaks.
Python is used in technologies like machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics, etc.	C++ is used in game development engines, embedded systems in smartwatches and IoT devices, making compilers for programming languages, etc.
Python is the most popular language, standing in the 1st position according to the TIOBE index as of November 22.	C++ is the 4th most popular programming language according to the TIOBE index as of Nov ’22.
Companies like Instagram, Spotify, Amazon, and Google use Python.	Companies like Adobe, YouTube, Microsoft, and Apple use C++.
The average salary of a Python developer is around $96,756 per year, according to salary.com.	The average salary of a C++ developer is around $77,552 per year, according to salary.com.

Conclusion

It’s time we conclude our article today. We talked about the detailed discussion of differences between Python and C++, from syntax to features to applications. We inferred from today’s article that both programming languages have their own strengths and weaknesses. Python is a great language if you have no prior knowledge about coding and learning to code for the first time, while C++ is more suited for programmers who have great expertise and command over coding languages.

I hope you found my article useful. If you have any queries, feel free to comment down below. We’ll meet you soon with another amazing article. Till then keep learning, and have a wonderful day ahead!😊