Introduction
Loved for its ease of learning, Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. It accounts for 17.186% percentage of lines of code on GitHub.
Although Python has been established as the de-facto language for data science, AI and Machine Learning, many programmers often question its place as a backend language.
However, Google, Spotify, and Pinterest are some tech giants leveraging this language’s benefits. The major strength of Python lies in its open-source libraries and rich community support.
This article highlights the common Python web application frameworks and the benefits of using Python as a backend language.
Frameworks
Server-side frameworks ( or web application frameworks) make writing, maintaining, and quick scaling of web applications easier. They handle the heavy dredge work, which allows you to focus on the business logic of your app. Some of the famous Python web application frameworks include:
1. Django
Afree, open-source high-level framework that encourages rapid development using a clean and pragmatic design. It follows the “batteries included” philosophy and provides almost all you’ll need “out of the box.” This allows you to focus on development without having to reinvent the wheel.
Django follows a consistent design principle and boasts of extensive, up-to-date documentation maintained by the open-source community. It is fast, secure, and very scalable. Websites like Instagram, Disqus, Pinterest, and National Geographic use Django.
2. Flask
If you are feeling minimalistic, Flask is the way to go. It contains a development server, debugger, secure cookies, and unit testing. It also has good documentation and an active community. Flask is a popular choice for web services on small, resource-constrained systems like Raspberry Pi and Drone controllers.
3. Fast API
The new kid on the block, Fast API, is a fast, modern web framework for building APIs. It has about 200% to 300% feature development speed while reducing human-induced errors by 40%.
Pros of using Python as a backend language
Both the language and associated web frameworks are easy to learn, thanks to the documentation quality and the community’s size.
1. The effort to learn
Some of the advantages of using Python as a backend language include are summarized here:
2. Productivity
Python increases productivity. When you use it as a backend language, it makes writing and maintaining code basis more seamless.
3. Opionionated or unopinionated
Python will cover your needs depending on which side of the fence you are. A framework like Django is best suited for you if you need a recommended set of “best” ways to solve a problem.
4. Batteries included or lean
The frameworks built on Python support either of these principles. If you want a log of things out of the box, Django is an example of this. Flask is a very lightweight alternative if you are developing a web server for an embedded system.
5. Caching support
Most Python web frameworks support caching, allowing you to optimize your web responses when the requests multiply
6. Scalability
Taking a leaf from some of the tech giants mentioned in the article earlier, it is easy to visualize how scalable your Python web applications will be when you use Python as a backend language.
7. Web security
Python frameworks are often keen on security, and most measures are enabled by default. For instance, Django sanitizes all input from HTML temples to prevent user-entered JavaScript from running on the server.
Conclusion
Python is an excellent choice as a backend language for web applications. Alhough it is often taunted for its speed, but we would say, “If Python is fast enough for Google, Instagram, and Reddit, there is nothing to fear.”