Python Programming or Scripting Language?

Those of you reading this will have to excuse some hesitations. Why? The answer is that I find this question to be similar to the one asking which one; Lamborghinis or FORDs is considered a car? Yes, that will generate a response of disbelief at the bovine excrement dumped by such a question, but you also have to deal with the mentality that would ask such a question in the first place. So, OK, here we go.

First, let us do some housecleaning; programming languages come in four categories. One is machine code (ones and zeros). The other is assembly code (human-readable code but geared towards machine interactions). The third is source code (human-readable and understandable in human terms, but must be compiled to interact with computer or processor functions). The last is scripting or script code(this code is human readable and seeks to mimic human interaction with the system, does not need to be compiled to run, but runs in a line by line fashion).

OK, now that we have that out of the way, we can clear up the question first asked without smearing bovine excrement all over the place. ?All four of the coding formats are computer languages, just implemented in different ways. ?Python seeks to create a bridge between Source Code and Script Code, very much like Java does by using (generating) what is called “Byte-Code,” which sounds like a real-time compilation of the Java Source Code. With Python, we see that the source code is in a scripting format instead of source code.

This arrangement of Python as a scripting language was on purpose and for less complexity and ease of use by the programmers (Engineers, Analyst, Developers, and Coders). Therefore the question should not be, is Python a Programming or Scripting Language? Instead, should be; “Does the Python Programing Language employ Script Code or Compiled Code?” which the simple answer will be “Just like Java it does both, the source code acts as a script and is compiled in real-time by the interpreter creating byte-code which acts like a complied program.” The only difference being is that Java creates a runnable byte-code entity, which Python does not.

There you have it, a simple reply to the question. Even simpler: “Python is a Programming Language that uses a scripting format which can be compiled and run in real-time by the Python Interpreter, thus acting like a compiled programming language, while being a scripting language.”