C# Vs Python: Know the difference!

Table of Contents

The competition and comparison among programming languages are just never-ending. Are you also on a similar fork and want to decide yourself – C# or Python? This article is for you. This is all the information you need to know about C# and Python to have a clear perspective.

Programming languages seem to have evolved even faster in recent times. It all started from the first low-level programming language. It came into existence in 1951 by the name Regional Assembly Language. Since then, there has been no looking back.

We have now emerged with several high-level languages. There have been multiple paradigms for coding such as functional programming, object-oriented programming and recent development in task-oriented programming.

Currently, there are several trending programming languages in the industry such as Python, Java, JavaScript, Typescript, C#, C++, Go, Ruby, PHP, Kotlin and the list goes endless. In this article, we will be covering everything about both of them.

The flow of the content will be

Introduction to C#
Features of C#
Advantages of C#
Resources to learn C#
Introduction to Python
Features of Python
Advantages of Python
Resources to learn Python
Comparison Table – C# Vs Python
Conclusion

Introduction to C#

C#, pronounced as “C sharp” was developed by Anders Hejlsberg and his team at Microsoft around 2000. It is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language. It shares similarities with C and C++ as it was developed as their alternative. C# become open-source in 2017. It can be easily integrated with the .NET framework of Microsoft.

Features of C#

Multi-paradigm Language: C# supports multiple programming paradigms such as Structured, Imperative, Task-oriented, functional and Object-oriented programming.
Strong typing: A strongly typed language has strict typing rules. It is checked during compile time which shows errors and exceptions at compile time. C# is a strongly typed language.
Cross-Platform Support: Using Mono, a free and open-source project helps to develop cross-platform compiler and runtime environment for C# making it cross-platform compatible.
Standard Library: C# has a rich collection of community class and commercial libraries. Mostly built on the .NET framework to increase the application and functionality.

Advantages of C#

Reusable Code: As C# predominantly supports the object-oriented approach, it easier to design large scale software. You can easily create reusable classes and modules to increase the maintainability and modularity of the software.
Support: As C# is maintained by Microsoft, you can get direct support from Microsoft’s developer community.
CLI (Common Language Infrastructure): It is the technical standard set by Microsoft which describes the executable code and runtime environment. It allows multiple high-level programming languages to be run on different platforms without the support of specific architecture or rewriting.

Resources to learn C#

C# has great industrial demand. You can refer the following video tutorials

There are several great books available that can be referred:

1.C#: Programming Basics for Absolute Beginners (Step-by-Step C# Book 1)

Author: Nathan Clark
MRP: Rs.1,676

2. C#: 2 BOOKS IN 1 – The Ultimate Beginner’s & Intermediate Guide to Learn C# Programming Step By Step

Author: Ryan Turner
MRP: Rs.3,279

3. C# in Depth: Fourth Edition

Author: Jon Skeet
MRP: Rs.2,749

Introduction to Python

Python is a high-level multipurpose programming language. Python was created around the 1980s. It has been open-source since the beginning and has strong community support. There are numerous frameworks for different purposes based on python. Flask and Django for web development. Tensorflow and Keras for deep learning. Python has huge library support. Python is an interpreted language. Python has been predominantly used in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Features of Python

Dynamically Typed: Python is an interpreted language. This allows the dynamic typing feature to come along. It executes programming behaviour during the run time which is commonly performed by statically typed language at the time compilation.
Code Readability: Python has simpler syntax as compared to other object-oriented programming languages. It has a pseudo-code structure. It looks clean with no semicolons and brackets. It relies on indentation to describe the block of code.
Garbage Collection: Python has the feature of garbage collection which allows the programmer to get rid-off manual memory management.
Multiple-programming Paradigm: Programming paradigm is referred to as the execution model of the program depending upon the user requirement. Python supports both functional and object-oriented paradigm of programming. This gives it the flexibility to be used for various purposes.

Advantages of Python

Vast Library Support: Python has more than 200 thousand packages for almost all purposes. It makes the developer’s work easy by simple importing of modules and direct implementation.
Productivity: Python offers powerful integration, unit testing frameworks and support on multiple IDEs and active community support. This makes it an ideal choice for developers who are into rapid development.
Learning Curve: Python is one of the easiest languages to get started. It is one of the most popular choices among code newbies. It has a smooth learning curve, making it easier to become proficient in less time.

Resources to learn Python

You can learn python through various means. You can go for video tutorials if you are just starting. It is always advised to learn by building projects. Projects make you creative with the application of the language to build real-life stuff. This will keep your interest high and will motivate you to dive deeper.

You can refer to Best Python Projects: Beginner to Advanced for project ideas. You can refer the following detailed course.

Coding Ninjas Python Course – Basic to Advanced Concept Often books are also a great choice to get the overall information. You can refer the following books:

1.Python Crash Course, 2nd Edition: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming

Author: Eric Matthes
MRP: Rs. 920

2. Python (2nd Edition): Learn Python in One Day and Learn It Well. Python for Beginners with Hands-on Project

Author: Jamie Chan
MRP: Rs.829

3. Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, 2nd Edition: Practical Programming for Total Beginners

Author: Al Sweigart
MRP: Rs.1,999

Comparison Table: C# Vs Python

Python	C#
Developed in the 1980s as open-source distribution.	Developed by Microsoft around 2000 as Microsoft proprietary. Recently open-sourced in 2017.
Python is used as multi-paradigm programming. It is equally preferred for functional as well as an object-oriented paradigm.	C# supports multiparadigm programming but is majorly used for object-oriented programming.
Python is framework independent. It can be easily used with CLI (command line interface), IDEs, web frameworks and integrate with Java, JavaScript and C++.	C# essentially uses .Net framework to run. It is inter operational with F#, JavaScript, Python and VB.NET.
It is dynamically typed. Errors and exceptions show up during run time.	It is statically typed. Errors and exceptions show up during compile time.
It requires an interpreter.	No requirement of an interpreter.
The development lifecycle is faster but performance-wise there is lag.	With the use of CLI, C# proves to be fast and has better performance.
Multi-threading requires multiple processes.	Multi-threading is easier in the .Net framework
Syntactically, Python has clean code which makes debugging easier.	C# has the typical use of braces and semi-colon making it slightly tough to debug.
Python has a vast variety of library support for almost all applications. Some of them are Apache spark, Pytorch, Sci-kit Learn and many more.	C# also has libraries to support development but limited when compared to python. Some of them are ML.net, Accord.net.

FAQ based on C# and Python

Why is Python named “Python”?
There is this really interesting story behind its name. The creator of Python Guido Van Rossum was reading the script of “ Monty Python’s Flying Circus”, a BBC comedy series of the 1970s. He needed some short and unique name, so python just strikes that way.

Is python good for beginners?
Python is a great choice to get started with programming. It seems a bit unnatural with statically typed languages such as java and C#. Python is more relatable and less syntactical making it an ideal choice for beginners.

What would be the best IDE for python?
There isn’t something as the best since a wide variety of super productive IDEs are available. You can go with any one of Visual Studio code, Pycharm, Spyder, Jupyter depending upon your required application development ranging from web applications, mobile applications to data science and machine learning. Jupyter notebook is mostly used by a data scientist.

Is it worth learning C# in 2020?
C# is very well maintained by Microsoft. It is quite relevant with .Net framework. It is flexible and has a wide variety of applications. C# is here to stay.

What can I do with C#?
C# is a multi-paradigm language. You can do all of the things from web application development, windows application development, web services, game development and machine learning. Recently, C# has gained popularity as one of the preferred languages for game development.

Should I learn C# or Python?
This is quite subjective to the requirement of the developer and second preference. You can go to any language you prefer. Python is generally preferred by data scientists and machine learning enthusiasts. C# is dominantly popular for game development. Python has greater community support. More important is to focus on the concepts. Programming languages are similar to language in general. The syntax may change, the environment of development and performance also varies but they can be doing the same thing.

Conclusion

Both languages have their own merits and demerits. C# and python both have application in various domains such as Backend services, IoT devices, Video games, Windows applications, Web APIs, AI and machine learning.

Some of the prominent companies using C# are Microsoft, Stack overflow, Accenture and Intuit. Some of the prominent companies using python are Google, YouTube, Spotify and Mozilla. You should consider your requirements and the features that the language offers, to go ahead with one of the languages.

I hope this article helped you with your doubts and knowledge about these languages.

Happy Learning!