5 August 2022,
Besides R, we also got introduced to Python, the other popular programming language that is known to be more complex than R to learn.
As dr. Mulya said in the class, Python is commonly used for its:
- Open source-ness
- Massive and active community
- Beginner-friendly nature
- Simple syntax
- Object-oriented language
Python is also known to be an interpreted language that works with code writing (source code) to control another software application (output). The complexity of python also serves for its applications in web development, software development, games and 3D graphics, business applications, network programming, database access, etc. Some which R cannot do. Applications that
are known to be developed with pythons are Pinterest, Instagram, Spotify, Disqus, Dropbox, Uber, Reddit, Netflix, etc. Some of which we use in our daily lives.
In one session of this class, we also learned about indentation. Indentation refers to the spaces at the beginning of a code line. In Python, indentation is very important as it makes use of indentation to indicate a block of code. Here is the example:
We also have a live simulation of Python syntax and indentation using the Google Colab (image is attached above), although I still need to learn more about it. Python also has some advantages when compared to R, one of which is data visualization. Python data visualizations, as far as I understand, are quite more readable compared to R. However, I very much prefer R rather than Python for its practicality in analyzing data.