Is Python or Ruby better? Is Python similar to the Ruby programming language? What are the differences between the two? To answer the first question, we must compare these two programming languages.

Comparing different programming languages ​​is not a new topic. Each programming language has its own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. Not every language is suitable for every job. A programmer and developer must find a programming language for the work they want to do. This choice is very important in the success or not of programmer and developer projects.

If the programmer is not a beginner and wants to learn a new language in addition to the programming languages ​​he knows and has worked with; again, he has to choose one of the languages. Programming languages ​​are not few. By the way, these languages ​​have a long list. All these reasons make it important to compare programming languages. This article is dedicated to the comparison of two very important and widely used programming languages ​​(Python vs Ruby). In the following, I will first define Python and Ruby, and then I will talk about the similarities and differences between these two languages.

Comparison of Python and Ruby

All programming languages ​​were not invented at the same time. These languages ​​gradually developed and diversified over time. Each of these languages ​​was marketed to meet specific needs. According to different languages, programming can be divided into different types. For example, in the world of programming, there is declarative programming, which is opposed to prescriptive programming. Another type is functional programming.

Python is one of the functional programming languages, which is a high-level, object-oriented, open source and interpreted language. Python commands and codes are simple and dynamic. Python is also much easier to learn than other high-level programming languages. Python is very useful and especially popular among programmers and web developers.

Ruby is a high-level, object-oriented, open source and interpretive language. Ruby is a complex language with a focus on performance. This language can be placed in different programming paradigms, that is, this language is both functional and procedural. Ruby is influenced by other languages ​​such as Perl and Smalltalk.

From the definition of these two programming languages, their basic similarities are clear. But all the similarities between Python and Ruby are not superficial and these two programming languages ​​are more similar than that.

The similarities between Python and Ruby programming languages

  • Both Python and Ruby are high-level languages. It means that both Python and Ruby are close to human language.
  • Both Python and Ruby are server-side scripting languages.
  • Python and Ruby have a simple syntax that is easy to read.
  • Python and Ruby are compatible with all versions of UNIX operating system as well as Windows and Mac OS.
  • Object orientation and objects are very central and important in both of these languages.

Yes, Python and Ruby are not very similar. But these two languages are different. In the next section, I will list the most important differences between Python and Ruby for you.

Differences between Python and Ruby

  • The first difference is related to Python and Ruby applications. In fact, Python is a language for artificial intelligence and machine learning and in general scientific data analysis and scientific programming. While Ruby has no application in artificial intelligence. On the contrary, the main use of Ruby is in web development and functional programming.
  • It is true that both Python and Ruby are object-oriented languages, but they are not equally object-oriented. Ruby is a fully object-oriented language. Compared to Ruby, Python is not completely object oriented.
  • The third very important difference between Python and Ruby is the number of their libraries. The number of Ruby libraries is very small compared to Python.
  • Another difference is related to the possibility of debugging in Python and Ruby. Debugging process in Python code is much easier and faster than code written in Ruby language.
  • Different code editors (IDEs) can be used to program with Python. But there is only one code editor for Ruby: Eclipse IDE.
  • Basically, Python is known with the keywords of speed, efficiency, cleanliness and readability of codes, and Ruby is known with the keywords of power, efficiency and flexibility (especially in web design and development).
  • Python supports Tuple data, but Ruby does not. Tuples in Python are a collection of items that are collected in the form of a variable. The important and practical thing about tuples is that the items inside are immutable.
  • Python programming language is the most popular programming language in the world. According to the TIOBE directory, Python is the most popular language among programmers and developers in the world, while Ruby is ranked 15th in this list.
  • The last important difference between Python and Ruby is related to the salary of programmers and developers of these languages. According to data from glassdoor.com, the annual salary of a Ruby developer is higher than that of Python in the United States.

Is Python or Ruby better?

Well, the time has come to answer the main question: Python or Ruby is better? The answer to this question is determined by the answer to another question: What do you want to program for? If you want to enter the world of artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analysis; Python is better. In fact, Python is the choice of artificial intelligence enthusiasts. But if you want to work in the field of web development, Ruby is a better choice compared to Python.

In the world, both of these languages ​​are used in their place. For example, Google, Dropbox, Instagram, Mozilla, Yahoo use Python. Apple, GitHub, Twitter, Hulu are also companies that use Ruby language. Therefore, the determining factor is what is going to be written in these two languages ​​and why.

Before I finish this article, it is better to say some things about the inventors of these two languages:

  • Python was invented in 1991 by Guido van Rossum, a Dutch programmer.
  • Ruby was created in 1995 by Yukihiro Matsumoto, a Japanese programmer. The creator of Ruby language said a very interesting sentence about this programming language:

“Ruby is simple in appearance, but is very complex inside, just like our human body.”

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