Ruby vs Python: Which is the better language for application programming?

Ruby and Python are two of the most commonly used programming languages ​​for application programming. According to the Stack Overflow’s annual survey, rated by more than 90,000 programmers worldwide. Ruby and Python are in the Top 15 most in-demand programming languages ​​in 2019. For those of you who don’t know, there are about 700 programming languages ​​in the world.

Ruby and Python have a lot in common. They are both high-level object-oriented languages ​​that focus on simplicity and clarity. However, as on the title of the article, today we will compare these two languages ​​to find out which is better for your web application programming projects.

First, let’s start with the basics of Ruby and Python before we compare.

Ruby

Ruby was released in 1995. Yukihiro Matsumoto, the founder of Ruby, said: Ruby’s purpose is to make programmers happy. Ruby was designed as a programmer-friendly language. It is also a very flexible language that allows programmers to easily change its elements and combine different approaches in many powerful ways. This language focuses on human needs, not computers.

Any kind of software can be created with the help of Ruby, from web to mobile applications. However, Ruby can be used for many different purposes, but the most famous is still used to build web applications. Ruby on Rails (RoR), an open source web application framework written in Ruby, focuses on simple but effective programming. RoR is loved by programmers because it provides them with built-in tools that make application programming extremely fast.

Ruby is an object-oriented programming language. In Ruby, every value, even a class, is an object. The default behavior can be modified by adding new methods to the class and extending custom classes. In addition, Ruby allows programmers to reuse code and logic units for other projects. Besides, object-oriented programming ensures the composability of objects together into modules so that the project structure becomes clearer.

Ruby uses the garbage collector which is an automatic memory management system, so the programmer doesn’t have to allocate memory manually. Besides other useful features, Ruby is highly adaptable and easily accepts new updates and releases.

Python

Python was created by a Dutch programmer, Guido van Rossum. Released in 1991, Python is the most versatile programming language for back-end programming. Python is a powerful scripting language that allows you to create scripts and execute it over and over again without spending a lot of time coding.

Like Ruby, Python is a high-level object-oriented language. The philosophy that Python focuses on the most is readability. Python code is like talking to each other in English, its syntax is easy to use and very simple to read. That’s why Python is the best language for beginners. Python also has a reputation among experienced programmers, who will often choose Python as a second or third language to learn.

Python is designed for academic and scientific programs. It can handle large data fairly quickly and is used for programming heavy web sites. Python is the most preferred programming language for artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic applications. Python can also be used to program mobile applications.

Python is a cross-platform language that requires no installation (portable code). That means programmers can use Python code on multiple operating systems (Linux, Windows, Mac, Unix) without having to change the code.

The open source web framework, Django, promotes clean and fast programming. This powerful framework is used to build several popular websites like Spotify, Instagram, and YouTube. It’s no surprise that according to Github’s PYPL review, Python is the most popular programming language in 2020.

Ruby vs Python: Key Differences

As mentioned, both Ruby and Python are new generation high-level object-oriented scripting languages. However, the main difference between them lies in the philosophy behind each language. Ruby aims to please programmers with its elegant and beautiful syntax, while Python’s main task is to make things clear to programmers. Ruby offers programmers freedom and flexibility. They can solve the problem using different methods, while Python has only one correct way to solve the problem. Different approaches make Ruby and Python suitable for different types of web applications.

Below is a table comparing the main differences between Python and Ruby.

When to choose Ruby?

Ruby will be a great choice for small businesses and startups looking to develop fast applications. Ruby is useful when you have a need to build a rapid prototype even if the project is not well defined and there will be changes in the future. In general, Ruby is recommended in cases where the time is short and the budget is limited.

If you need to find more concrete examples of the types of apps that are best built with Ruby, those are e-commerce sites and music streaming. Shopify is an inspiring example of a complex e-commerce solution programmed with the help of the Ruby on Rails framework that has been on the market since 2006 and is home to over 800,000 online stores. transmission.

The Ruby on Rails framework is perfectly suited for programming multi-functional custom web applications. Ruby also has one of the strongest communities, ensuring complete and accurate documentation, and an extensive library called Ruby gems. They provide special functionality for Ruby applications and speed up every stage of the programming process.

At the same time, you must keep in mind that Ruby is not the best choice for creating web applications that require total control over product architecture, program modules or data integration.

When to choose Python?

Python will be a better choice for complex scientific applications and solutions in the cloud. It is also used to program applications that scale horizontally. Such apps help manage frequently changing workloads.

Building applications with Python can go beyond the initial web development goals of using Ruby. Because Python is used in industries ranging from data science to robotics. That’s why the Python community is one of the most diverse. On Stack Overflow, the largest and most trusted online community for programmers, there are over 1,455,817 Python questions.

Python, combined with the TensorFlow library, greatly simplifies the programming of AI-based solutions because it has built-in machine learning algorithms. Python is also widely used in data processing and analysis. It is particularly useful in audio and video analysis thanks to its data visualization and data organization capabilities.

Conclusion

It would be unfair to declare who was the winner. Both are powerful high-level languages ​​loved by programmers. However, you must remember that Ruby and Python are suitable for different types of applications. If you are planning to program heavy data websites and applications with elements with machine learning, choose Python. In case, you want to develop fast web applications, Ruby will be a great choice.