Java vs Python: Difference between Java and Python with Code Samples

The two programming languages, Java vs Python, are very different from one another, each with its own unique characteristics and features.

The Java programming language is a statically-typed, object-oriented language with complex syntax and high performance. Python is a dynamically-typed language that supports object-oriented and procedural programming and is renowned for its ease of use and large developer community.

This article compares Java vs Python and assists in identifying which one suits your requirements.

Introduction: Java vs Python

Java and Python have commonly utilized programming languages globally. Despite their distinct attributes, they are frequently compared.

Syntax and Code Structure

An important difference between Java and Python is their syntax and code structure. Java is a statically-typed language, meaning each variable must be explicitly defined before it can be used. In contrast, Python is a dynamically-typed language, meaning variables do not have to be defined before use.

As for code structure, Java relies heavily on curly braces and semicolons to enclose the beginning and end of functions and statements. On the other hand, Python uses whitespace to denote code blocks, which is easier to read and write.

Object-Oriented Programming

It is important to note that Java and Python are object-oriented programming languages, but they approach object-oriented programming differently. Java was designed to be purely object-oriented, meaning all code must be written using objects and classes.

By contrast, Python supports procedural and object-oriented programming, allowing you to write code using objects or functions.

Memory Management

Additionally, Java and Python differ when it comes to memory management. Java uses a garbage collector to manage memory automatically, so developers don’t have to manually allocate and free memory.

In contrast, Python manages memory with reference counting, so developers have to allocate and free it manually.

Performance

As far as performance is concerned, Java and Python are different. Java is known for its high performance due to its Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation and bytecode.

The Python programming language, on the other hand, is widely known for being slow, especially regarding mathematical computations and other CPU-intensive operations.

Ease of Use

Because of its simple syntax and code structure, Python is considered one of the easiest languages to learn and use.

Compared to Python, Java can be more complex and challenging for beginners, especially if you are unfamiliar with object-oriented programming and its syntax.

Community Support and Libraries

It is unsurprising that both Java and Python have large and active communities of developers, which means that both languages offer a lot of resources and support.

Because Python has a larger and more diverse community, developers have access to more libraries and frameworks.

Key Difference between Java and Python

Note that this table only covers a few key differences between Java and Python and may not capture all of the nuances of each language. It is important to carefully consider your needs and goals as a developer when choosing between Java and Python.

Sample of Java Programming Language

public class SimpleCalculator {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        
        // Define two numbers to perform calculations on
        int num1 = 10;
        int num2 = 5;
        
        // Calculate the sum of the numbers
        int sum = num1 + num2;
        
        // Calculate the difference between the numbers
        int diff = num1 - num2;
        
        // Calculate the product of the numbers
        int prod = num1 * num2;
        
        // Calculate the quotient of the numbers
        int quotient = num1 / num2;
        
        // Print out the results
        System.out.println("Number 1: " + num1);
        System.out.println("Number 2: " + num2);
        System.out.println("Sum: " + sum);
        System.out.println("Difference: " + diff);
        System.out.println("Product: " + prod);
        System.out.println("Quotient: " + quotient);
    }

}

This sample Java program defines two numbers to perform calculations on using the int data type. Then, we perform several simple arithmetic operations on the numbers, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The results of these calculations are stored in separate variables.

Finally, we output the results of the calculations to the console using the System.out.println() method. The output of this program would look something like this:

Number 1: 10
Number 2: 5
Sum: 15
Difference: 5
Product: 50
Quotient: 2

Sample of Python Programming Language

# Define a list of numbers to analyze
numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

# Calculate the mean of the numbers
mean = sum(numbers) / len(numbers)

# Calculate the variance of the numbers
variance = sum([((x - mean) ** 2) for x in numbers]) / len(numbers)

# Calculate the standard deviation of the numbers
std_dev = variance ** 0.5

# Print out the results
print("Numbers: ", numbers)
print("Mean: ", mean)
print("Variance: ", variance)
print("Standard deviation: ", std_dev)

In this sample Python program, we define a list of numbers to analyze. Then, we calculate the mean of the numbers by summing them and dividing them by the list length.

Next, we calculate the variance of the numbers by subtracting the mean from each number, squaring the result, and averaging the squared differences. Finally, we calculate the standard deviation of the numbers by taking the square root of the variance.

After calculating these statistics, we print them to the console using the print() function. The output of this program would look something like this:

Numbers:  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
Mean:  5.5
Variance:  8.25
Standard deviation:  2.8722813232690143

The Python ecosystem offers a wide range of pre-built algorithms, tools for data processing, and visualization capabilities, making it easy to build and train machine learning models.

While Java can still be used for machine learning, it is generally considered less suitable than Python due to its more verbose syntax and smaller ecosystem of machine learning libraries.

These libraries make it easy to manipulate and visualize data, create statistical models, and generate interactive visualizations.

Java does have libraries and frameworks for data analysis and visualization, such as Apache Spark and Apache Flink. Still, they are typically used more for big data processing and distributed computing, rather than interactive visualization.

Performance is critical in high-performance computing applications, and Java’s strong typing and direct compilation allow it to perform better than Python.

Additionally, Java’s garbage collector is optimized for high performance, which allows it to manage memory more efficiently in large-scale computing applications.

Java also has a number of libraries and frameworks specifically designed for high-performance computing, such as Apache Hadoop and Apache Spark.

These frameworks make it easier to process large amounts of data in parallel across multiple nodes, a common requirement in high-performance computing applications.

Conclusion: Java vs Python

Ultimately, the choice between Java and Python will depend on your specific needs and preferences as a developer.

If you need high-performance and complex programming capabilities, Java may be the better choice. If you’re looking for an easy-to-learn language with a large community and plenty of libraries and frameworks, Python may be the way to go.