To Python Or Not

Ziycon

I was looking at learning a new language, been developing in PHP and Java for a good few years now among other languages. For some reason Python has jumped out at me as a language to learn.

So what I was wondering is there any want/need for Python devs in the IT landscape in Dublin/Ireland/Internationally these days or is it very niche?

Graham

Ziycon wrote: »

is there any want/need for Python devs in the IT landscape in Dublin/Ireland/Internationally these days

Did you check the job sites? It's fairly easy to skim through them to get an idea of current demand.

Ziycon

Graham wrote: »

Did you check the job sites? It's fairly easy to skim through them to get an idea of current demand.

I was going to to do that but was more aiming from the perspective of people in IT presently, do they see it used much around the office or daily life.

mneylon

We use it

Ziycon

Blacknight wrote: »

We use it

You don't mind me asking is it due to a legacy issue or was it the best solution for what you were looking for?

Colonel Panic

http://labs.spotify.com/2013/03/20/how-we-use-python-at-spotify/
http://techblog.netflix.com/2013/03/python-at-netflix.html
https://github.com/reddit/reddit

Python is widely used. Plenty of docs and libraries online and not going anywhere. If you can already code, most of the same paradigms you know map to Python so banging out a couple of test projects isn't going to be a huge investment. Make your own mind up then about whether it's worth becoming more proficient at.

We don't officially use it in work, but I prototype a lot with Python. Out of work, all my back end stuff is Python or Javascript with Node.js

It's not a cutting edge language or anything. If you want to jump on that bandwagon, Think Node.js for the backend and Angular.js for single page web app front ends.

not1but4

Major players in the investment banking market are using it. Both employee developers in their Dublin offices.

http://www.quora.com/Why-are-banks-like-JP-Morgan-and-Bank-of-America-Merrill-Lynch-using-Python-to-replace-historic-legacy-systems-built-in-Java-C++

Steviemoyne

It can be used to make games also.

Edit: I've also used IronPython to make windows form applications.

djpbarry

I work in academia OP, where Python is definitely pretty "sexy" at the moment. I've only used it a bit, but it seems to have developed something of a reputation as a language for building pipelines and taping various modules together. I'm not really offering an opinion on it as a language as I don't have sufficient experience with it, but it is definitely being used.

Rucking_Fetard

Python Bumps Off Java As Top Learning Language

c_man

I love Python. A cracking little language to (for me usually) automate something or other, in no time with little effort. Only got the time the recently to start going through it in more depth.

Rucking_Fetard

http://www.teachmepython.com/

Burlap_Sack

http://learnpythonthehardway.org/book/ex0.html

I found this one useful.

mneylon

Ziycon wrote: »

You don't mind me asking is it due to a legacy issue or was it the best solution for what you were looking for?

We use a mixture of PHP and Python for most of our inhouse software ie. applications + software that interact with domain name registries or add functionality to various systems

I'm not 100% sure why we're using Python, but it's definitely not a "legacy" issue

Tar.Aldarion

We use python and it's great. Go for it, definitely my favourite language.

PrzemoF

"Python has been growing in popularity in the educational realm for at least the past few years, though this survey is the first to show it has eclipsed Java, which has been the dominant teaching language for the past decade"

http://www.itworld.com/software/426242/python-bumps-java-top-learning-language

UCDVet

We've got a handful of full-time Python developers. If you enjoy the language, I'd say it's mainstream enough to be successful in finding jobs.

(personally, I still am not too found of Python, but I know a lot of people who swear by it)

Jim2007

Ziycon wrote: »

I was looking at learning a new language, been developing in PHP and Java for a good few years now among other languages. For some reason Python has jumped out at me as a language to learn.

So what I was wondering is there any want/need for Python devs in the IT landscape in Dublin/Ireland/Internationally these days or is it very niche?

Weather or not it becomes your main language, I'd say every developer needs to have a good command of a powerful scripting language to be really productive. The thing about Python or Ruby for that matter is that they let you do the simple stuff quickly - dump a database table into a csv file, move something around on a network, clean up a data file or whatever. And these days both environments seem to be on most client's servers that I touch.

Learning Python will add a powerful tool to your toolbox, even if it never becomes a job clincher for you.

djpbarry

This may be of interest, OP.