“As a client, this means your developers are more focused on delivering the business objectives than they are on determining which way of doing things is the best. Developers can focus on solving core business problems and launching apps efficiently.”<\/h4>\n
– Douglas Gimli, VP of Business Development<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Benefits of Python: Large community and ecosystem<\/h3>\n
Python is an open-source project. This means that the source code for the programming language is open to everyone to read and propose changes. It\u2019s built by developers, for developers.<\/p>\n
As a result, Python is now one of the most popular programming languages on the market. Many educational institutions list it as the number one language<\/a> for new developers to learn.<\/p>\n The extensive developer base has also led to many tools that make a developer\u2019s life easier. These tools can integrate with business applications and let programmers do more with less code. You\u2019ll get your applications developed faster and with fewer bugs too.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Python community is also very friendly. Developers across the world regularly share answers to complex problems, and a Python programmer working on your app can quickly find solutions to issues they face. The outcome? Greater project velocity and a smoother route to market.<\/p>\n One of the most significant advantages of using Python is the abundance of developer tools and third-party libraries. One of the biggest time-sinks in development is creating everything from scratch, but with Python, you save time not having to build things that\u2019ve already been built before.<\/p>\n How does Python achieve this?<\/p>\n For one, it has a lot of built-in features that make developers’ lives easier. The standard library contains program functions that let developers accomplish tasks in a few lines of code, something that would otherwise take a lot more.<\/p>\n If you need something more complicated than the Python library provides, you only have to look to the open-source ecosystem. There you\u2019ll find tools for everything from machine learning to web development, and all a Python developer needs to do is install the library and get started on their task straight away.<\/p>\n People use these tools in a large number of industries. Data scientists make heavy use of machine learning tools to get data models up and running, and web development companies use frameworks like Django to build websites quickly.<\/p>\n – Jeremy Stephan, Head of Client Engagement<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There\u2019s no such thing as a perfect programming language, and the features that Python provides do come at a cost.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at some of the downsides you\u2019ll see when using Python as a programming language:<\/p>\n Search online for Python comparisons or how-tos, and you’ll find multiple articles stating that Python is slow. But what does it mean, exactly, in the context of other programming languages? And how much of a deal-breaker is this \u201cslow\/low performance\u201d when adopting Python for your application?<\/p>\n Without getting too deep into the technical details, \u201cPython code\u201d is in fact slower than code written in low-level languages, such as C\/C++. Why? Because Python is what\u2019s known as a dynamically typed and interpreted language \u2014 and there are extra steps that Python code needs to take, to turn into code that computers understand.<\/p>\n Low-level languages compile into machine code, so there\u2019s less work to do when your software is running.<\/p>\n Note the use of “Python code” in inverted commas above, though. We did that for a reason.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re building an app that demands high computation \u2014 for machine learning, let\u2019s say \u2014 many of the Python tools you\u2019ll use mostly run as C-compiled code, with a Python wrapper. This means you can get a good balance of Python’s ease of use, plus speed from C, with a small overhead.<\/p>\n For applications like web development, Python code is hardly the most common performance bottleneck. Real-world applications are complex in nature, and they have to integrate with several third-party services that have a higher chance of impacting the overall performance \u2014 database, email, messaging queues, and so on. And unless you address the main bottleneck of the application as a whole, you won’t be effective.<\/p>\n Where the bottleneck can be identified as the Python code itself, you can always integrate with other languages like Golang. Problem solved.<\/p>\n So with no issue being too big to resolve… is it actually worth undergoing all these performance workarounds just to use Python?<\/p>\n The answer, for us, is a resounding yes.<\/p>\n Successful digital products are those that ship value to their users consistently. In order to achieve that, you have to be able to prototype and implement code that represents the world closest to its real form, without getting swamped with low-level intricacies.<\/p>\n In a world where hardware gets less expensive year after year, being able to develop applications and adapt faster is the real game-changer, and Python delivers on this promise.<\/p>\n The ease of use and development speed that Python brings as an interpreted language (and not a compiled one), has its benefits and its trade-offs.<\/p>\n In the exact same way you might use an interpreter to understand what someone else is saying in a different language to your own, Python code itself undergoes an interpretation process \u2014 each line of code is read, analyzed, and executed during application run time. And you may find an interpreted language like Python creates more runtime errors, when compared to statically compiled ones.<\/p>\n These errors can be prevented, though. A modern software development toolset with static code check, linters and automated tests bring peace of mind to Python engineers, leaving them to focus on solving real-world problems.<\/p>\n Of course, the Cheesecake Labs expert QA team is also on-hand to weed out any potential runtime errors before you hit the market.<\/p>\n Now that you know more about what makes Python great, the question is: how does Cheesecake Labs use Python to produce outstanding applications?<\/p>\n Essentially, the Python ecosystem lines up well perfectly with the Cheesecake Labs development process<\/a> and our engineering culture foundations:<\/p>\n Python is a robust language that makes sure its developers handle things the right way. This encourages dev teams to create quality code that other developers can understand. It makes applications more stable, easier to debug, and easy to enhance in the future.<\/p>\n All this leads to better experiences and results for you (our customer) and the end user (your customer) too.<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s a fine line between delivering quickly and delivering quality. You don\u2019t want to speed through the creation of an app, only to end up with a disappointing outcome. That\u2019s never an issue with Python and Cheesecake Labs though \u2014 together we stay efficient and still deliver excellent results, focusing on the right value for your users.<\/p>\n – Bernardo Smaniotto, Chief Operating Officer<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Python makes it easy for Cheesecakes Labs to work quickly and collaboratively with clients. Once your digital product is out there in users\u2019 hands, we\u2019ll be assessing and exploring ways of making your app even better (that\u2019s all part and parcel of our fourth phase of product development, Product Optimization<\/a>) \u2014 and Python facilitates the speed of that process.<\/p>\n Using Python, we\u2019re able to easily translate the real-word use case to code and deliver that benefit to your users with no wasted time.<\/strong><\/p>\n Python also makes it easy for us to figure out any issues that come up with your software; the Python developer tools help us find bugs and squash them. It helps us keep you updated on our progress and what\u2019s going on with your application too.<\/strong><\/p>\n So before we wrap things up \u2014 and in the name of transparency as well \u2014 it needs to be said: Python won\u2019t be right for every project. You need to find the right tool for your job, so the development team you collaborate with needs to be well-versed in all the tools available.<\/p>\n You can trust the Cheesecake Labs team to not only give their honest, expert opinion on which programming language is right for you, but we\u2019ll also have all the resources and skill-sets required to make a success of your app: Python, Node.js, Golang, or otherwise.<\/p>\n With all the benefits of Python, it\u2019s no wonder Cheesecake Labs has used it for 7+ years.<\/p>\n In all that time, we\u2019ve created some great applications for our clients. Let\u2019s check out a few of them and talk about how Python helped make them a reality.<\/p>\n The AES virtual power plant software<\/a> was one of Cheesecake Labs\u2019 first ventures into the energy market. Virtual power plant software is responsible for connecting renewable energy sources into the grid for businesses, generators, and storage systems.<\/p>\n Cheesecake Labs used Python for the backend, and optimization algorithms. It helped create evolving algorithms that connect with third-party sources to create a robust environment. That data is used for data visualization that helped AES create graphs, forecast pricing, and gauge asset availability.<\/p>\n Skyroam<\/a> is a global WiFi hotspot manufacturer. They saw limitations with their Shopify website and wanted to create a robust shopping experience for their customers. That\u2019s where Django held the solution.<\/p>\n Cheesecake Labs used the Django Framework to create a custom-built eCommerce system for Skyroam. We migrated Skyroam off Shopify to a highly-scalable AWS cloud webserver that can meet Skyroam\u2019s global expanding needs.<\/p>\nBenefits of Python: Versatile developer tools<\/h3>\n
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“Again, all of this leads to a much faster build. With the best tools close at hand, we can leverage and optimize development time. Delivering solid-rock code and, ultimately, total value to your business \u2014 all in less time, and with a tighter budget, too.”<\/h4>\n
Are there any downsides to Python?<\/h2>\n
Lower performance?<\/h3>\n
Issues with interpretation<\/h3>\n
Python + Cheesecake Labs = delightful digital experiences<\/h2>\n
Quality<\/h3>\n
Efficiency<\/h3>\n
\n
“The Python ecosystem provides us with the tools we need to get things done and get them done well.”<\/h4>\n
Transparency<\/h3>\n
3 apps built by Cheesecake Labs on top of Python<\/h2>\n
![\"benefits](\"https:\/\/ckl-website-static.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/aes-tiete-python-web-app.png\" "\\"benefits")
\nAES VPP<\/h3>\n![\"benefits](\"https:\/\/ckl-website-static.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/skyroam-ecommerce-python-global.png\" "\\"benefits")
<\/p>\nSkyroam<\/h3>\n
![\"benefits](\"https:\/\/ckl-website-static.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/boma-web-app-python.png\" "\\"benefits")
<\/h3>\nBoma Global<\/h3>\n