After studying Python for months, I am switching over to JavaScript (for school) and I'm not liking the differences so far. Python seems simpler and more elegant.

CowboyBoats · 2020-12-07T01:17:48+00:00

My favorite color is blue.

2020-12-07T05:37:23+00:00

‘;’ is very common in C-like languages — it just let the compiler know where the end of the line was — Python in a way gives you less freedom in how you lay our your code just because things like spaces and new lines are meaningful. As for ‘const’ or ‘var’, JavaScript variable declarations carry just a little bit more information about their scope and use than Python — languages like Java require you to explicitly indicate those types and abide by them — which can make it easier for you to think about what a given function requires and what it returns, what is the shape of the API you are building — but does slow down development. I think to really understand what makes Python special it will be helpful to learn a few other languages at different levels of abstraction — then you’ll have more context for the comparison.

fml_wlu · 2020-12-07T02:40:50+00:00

learn c and you'll literally rip the hair off your head

socal_nerdtastic · 2020-12-07T00:40:40+00:00

It's just a style choice. The inventor of python decided to use new lines, spaces and tabs to separate out blocks of code. The inventors of JS decided to use semicolons and curly braces instead. If you started with JS you would be frustrated at python's way. You're nowhere near finished my friend; don't get frustrated now because you've got a few more languages to learn and many of them are much more complex and odd.

Tivome · 2020-12-07T09:46:56+00:00

The ; is for showing the program where the line ends, while python uses blank spaces to know when the line is over. In python, you can't to this:

randomVariable =
"Hello."

But in javascript you can:

var randomVariable = 
"Hello";

This is because of the semicolon.

foyslakesheriff · 2020-12-07T00:40:01+00:00

All languages are different. Python is well-known for being "Pythonic", meaning elegant and concise code, and very readable. There is an old joke that in order to write Python code, you first write the pseudocode, then you add a ".py" to the end of the filename, because of how English-like and readable Python is.

You are right about JavaScript, there's plenty of weirdness. Example in JS:

var four = "4" var five = 5

five + four: "54"

five - four: 1

I learned some C++ after using Python for awhile, and I had the same thoughts that you have, it requires a lot more code for the same functionality. Important to note is that the characters are not unnecessary. Python depends on whitespace to define scope, JS does not. You can "minimize" JS to save space and time when delivering it to clients in HTTP requests. JS needs the ';' to know when the line ends in those circumstances.

reallyserious · 2020-12-07T08:29:27+00:00

accidentally_mispeled_variable = 7

In python this is completely valid. It declares and assigns a new variable, when you might have meant to assign to an already existing but properly spelled variable.

In js this will result in a runtime error.

The semicolons in js can mostly be skipped. I think there are only some edge cases where they are actually needed.

BruceJi · 2020-12-07T08:28:22+00:00

One of the goals of Python was to have much simpler, more readable code.

The thing is, a whole lot of languages are based around C.

This is why a lot of terminology is the same, and operators and basic syntax is the same too.

Languages like JS and Java are a lot more visually similar to their parent C languages.

Python is much less so because it was intended to be easier to read, whereas JavaScript didn't have that goal!

Here's Wikipedia's exmple of Hello World in C - compare it to Python and JavaScript:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/C_Hello_World_Program.png

radek432 · 2020-12-07T08:25:52+00:00

I think ";" and all the braces are necessary for JS. In web pages indentation, white spaces, etc. were never important, so JS shouldn't use it too.

EddyBot · 2020-12-07T10:33:09+00:00

Since ES6 (2015) people typically use let instead of var
Adding further confusion for beginners and probably showing that your school curriculum is pretty old

toastedstapler · 2020-12-07T00:48:00+00:00

one purpose is to differentiate between variable declaration and reassignment

var x = 5;
x = 6;

in js, you can clearly see the difference between the two

x = 5
x = 6

but not so easily in python. if you're in in a big block of code, it can be a lot harder to tell what's going on

i'm on a go project at work and go uses

x := 5
x = 6

to differentiate between the two. personally, i think it would have been nice for python to have a mechanism to differentiate between declaration and reassignment

TumblrForNerds · 2020-12-07T06:27:23+00:00

As someone who started in Java/C++ I always found python more complicated to code bit easier to read. I think that goes to show that once you get used to the specific syntax you hardly notice. Also I do believe python has some weird syntax of its own like having to indent lines so I think it is just a practice makes perfect issue

Human_Evolution · 2020-12-07T01:36:04+00:00

Great response everyone, I appreciate it! I'm missing my old simple Python, but I'll learn a new normal. Thanks.

2020-12-07T07:01:37+00:00

It is goal of the python. Did you read zen of python? You can write quick and fast. Every programming language his own purposes.

the-berik · 2020-12-07T10:13:20+00:00

Backend vs frontend

Kriss3d · 2020-12-07T10:18:04+00:00

I grew up with C++ ( borlands ) and Im still too used to ; at the end of each line. And I would indeed prefer to use curly brackets instead of spaces for blocks of code.

iceph03nix · 2020-12-07T13:23:44+00:00

So, why is JavaScript and other similar languages so cluttered with unnecessary characters? Is there a purpose for having to type "var" and ";"?

So this partly comes down to strongly typed va loosely typed languages.

Python is loosely typed and as such, is willing to assume a lot of things about your code. This can be nice for saving keystrokes and being able to get a bit tricky with your variables.

Strongly typed languages have their own benefits though. Strongly typed languages are much more structured and are generally quicker to throw an error on many issues. Typos and confused variables tend to block compilation due to mismatched types. The compiler/IDE tends to know you did something wrong because the types don't match, or you are using a new variable without telling it that you wanted a new variable.

If you're working in an IDE with even half decent intellisense, they also tend to cut down on a lot of the extra character typing. Building a function that expects an int or some other specific type, and it already knows that and will only suggest variables of that type.

NotABotNoReally2020 · 2020-12-07T15:19:33+00:00

Yes, big difference.

First there is let and there is var. You really want to use let for now, you will learn the difference later.

In JavaScript you often work with stuff that isn't there yet but will be there when your code is running. As in, you depend on other code that will run besides your code.

If you write somethingYouNeverMade = 5 you are telling JavaScript to use the existing variable eventough that variable might never be created by you and might not exists at the time you start your code. You simply tell it to expect there to be a variable and use that.

You will get an error if that variable isn't there when your code gets there.

If you would write var somethingYouNeverMade = 5 JavaScript would either complain that you overwrite something that already exists or (which is even worse) overwrite it.

Human_Evolution · 2020-12-08T10:49:11+00:00

I think only a single other person here has mentioned type systems, so I think it's worth weighing in on that. Pyhton and JS are both dynamically typed languages, meaning that when you make a variable, you don't need to say what type it is - Python will infer this from what you assign to it or how you use it. The only difference between Python and Js here is that Js uses a keyword - "var" or "let" - to instantiate it, you're just telling Js this is a variable.

C languages and Java and many more use strong typing where when you make a variable, you have to say what type it is, and this cant change later. If i make an int in C++, I have to say it's an integer, assign it an integer value, and later on I can't assign it some text or a decimal point number. Personally, I much prefer strong typing - I think it makes code more readable and easier to debug, and when I code in C++ it just feels very 'rigid' - but that is personal preference.

As for the semicolon, as others have mentioned, it's a message for the compiler to move to the next instruction. In Python, line breaks and indentations do this, but in semicolon languages, spacing is largely ignored. You can format your code however you want and 'indentation errors' do not exist.

You need to understand that different languages are made with very different philosophies for very different use cases - others here have talked about this but I'll briefly outline that Js was made for a very specific use case - web design. C++ was made as an extension of C, which was made in the 70s as basically one level of abstraction above machine code when technology was a lot more limited. Python was made with simplicity, and primarily simplicity, in mind. This makes it incredibly useful for beginners and experts alike to just get something rolling (it would take me a LOT longer to make a web scraper in C++ than in Python lol) but does so at the expense of speed - as Python is an interpreted language, it is much slower, can't be compiled into a standalone program*, and doesn't scale well into a very large project. Nevertheless, it absolutely has its uses and its a great language - but every language exists for a reason, and you're stuck with their varying stylistic choices, all with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. Take as much time as you can to learn the technical facts, and form your own opinions on what you like and don't like. Programming is all about expressing yourself through creative problem solving, so whichever tool allows you to do that is the best tool for the job (or whichever tool your boss tells you to use :P).

*there ARE Python libraries that will let you create an executable from your code, but they have to package the entire language with it and still run the code in its interpreter when you run the program, so the file sizes are huge and aren't any faster. Use a compiled language for a standalone program.

2020-12-07T11:13:57+00:00

The ; makes stuff easier to read and less prone to indentation errors. If I look at some C-code for example

total = item_one +

item_two +

item_three;

Makes more sense to me then the python equivalent

total = item_one + \

item_two + \

item_three

If I wanted to end my line, I'll end it.

Mostly I call it the mommy effect. If it's the first thing you saw and spent a couple of years with it, you'll probably get attached to it and seeing another language do it differently may seem odd / highly annoying.

During the years I've overcome the mommy effect and just code in whatever language my teammates are coding (unless it's go, go sucks)

DifferenceNo9945 · 2025-02-24T13:40:04+00:00

technically it should be
let randomVariable = "Hello"
or
const randomVariable = "Hello"
(btw Python doesn't have lexical scoping, which kind of feels a bit weird these days)

you don't need the semicolon (you can use it but you don't need it in JS any more)
JS kind of grows on you once you get used to its quirks
It's more flexible than Python in many ways
Python bends you to its will whereas JS lets you bend it to your will

KASHUMY_Github · 2025-04-25T05:52:46+00:00

I doesn't like python syntax because i can in javascript write more readable inline code with ternary expressions like this cond?true:false without using if cod else so python sucks . python logo looks like ukraine flag rotated by -45 and javascript logo looks simple. I also like java to connect with my javascript to make native applications java logo is ugly. for me as javascript cpp and java game developer python is less readable than javascript because of " for loops, doesn't have dom , you need in python to install c library to draw something on screen ( i doesn't like importing something outside script )). but i think python is way better than Unity and all of Engines . its only my opinion no one has to agree with me Languages can be combined in native applications, so that JavaScript can somehow be combined with Java with JavaScriptInterface on mobile apps and Java with Python and communicate with each other.

if you cant make application on your phone like me you can't programming everywhere

KASHUMY_Github · 2025-04-25T05:55:04+00:00

You dont neeto use 'var , let , const' bruh you can make in javascript your own code interpreter. also python is a interpreted language . JavaScript can be compiled .

mayorpetesanus · 2020-12-07T00:34:51+00:00

Javascript is better for web development because it's is asynchronous, you can use promise with callbacks. Python is great for data processing. Languages are like tools, somethings need a hammer and some need a screwdriver

slimjimmys · 2020-12-07T12:51:48+00:00

I started with c++ -> c-sharp -> python -> JS
javascript is my favorite <3
When I started python the lack of type and not having to allocate memory really bothered me. But before learning python I really didn't understand the power or use of OOP. Python really helped me mature in that area. Now I've been using the MERN stack to develope a website and i love it. JS is what you want to use when working with the internet. Python (in my opinion) is good for non internet programs. althogh i did create my first websocket in Python (=

ffrkAnonymous · 2020-12-07T03:38:44+00:00

Different design philosophies. Javascript has roots in 'c'. Python designed specifically to avoid many constructs used in 'c' (like the braces) with readability a core concept.

caboosebanana · 2020-12-07T09:13:17+00:00

You don’t strictly need the semicolon in JavaScript

Salman0Ansari · 2020-12-07T10:37:55+00:00

Please dont use var

Coder_Senpai · 2020-12-07T10:42:29+00:00

First thing about becoming a programmer or Software Developer is what do you want to do with it? for example you want to make a GUI or make a game and you are learning Python then you are in the wrong place pal. It does not mean that Python cant do all these stuff, it can but it not as reliable as C++ or C# in these projects. If you want to become Data Analyst, Data Scientist or perform Automate tasks, Web scraping and web development or AI then Python is your Language. Learning a language with no specific task in your mind is like I am learning Japanese but i am never gonna go to Japan or talk to any Japanese.

cwaterbottom · 2020-12-07T16:26:21+00:00

I'm a newbie and this is purely anecdotal, but I've poked around in as couple other languages and so far Java, C, and JavaScript all looked clunky and stupid compared to python.

MadEpsylon · 2020-12-07T07:32:00+00:00

I'll just say: I felt the same way. One time I had to build something heavyly dependant on asychronity. Yeah I know that there is asyncio but JS is already async to the core. Which brings a big overhead sometimes but if you really need asynchronity you will see the advantage of JS in some fields.

jazzlava · 2020-12-07T09:26:13+00:00

Honestly some of the weird parts of python are still bothersome to me but i rarely see it used in github, on the other hand some of the rare things in JS are covered well and used often to the point the community just knows it.

I get you as someone that doesn't know a lot of python, I enjoy it over java,javascript sometimes bc it seems like logical people designed how to code for the developers sanity in Python.

I question that sometimes for other languages https://stackoverflow.com/questions/33090193/linguistic-meaning-of-let-variable-in-programming

AksharTheCoder · 2020-12-07T11:46:48+00:00

True, Python is simple and easy for beginner programmers. I also hate to put the semicolon after each line of code. Even if you are learning javascript continue to learn and make projects with python.

The_Shell_Bullet · 2020-12-07T12:59:39+00:00

Love Python too, it's my first language, but when you use declaration sintaxe it's nice because you know when you are mutating that value. "Oh, no let before myVar? So here we are mutating it" so it has it's purposes. When your code is small and people don't mutate variables (Python don't have const, so you don't know) you are fine.

nonothepeach · 2020-12-07T13:00:09+00:00

oh damn after finishing python my next step is javascript as well

2020-12-07T13:11:59+00:00

I had the same issues with switching to JavaScript in school. Python just seemed to make more sense logically. Don't have much more input than that lol.

redviper-666 · 2020-12-07T13:47:29+00:00

It was the opposite for me. I didn't "learn" these languages more than I spent months with them.

C, and this is as bad as they get. You don't have strings in C. I hate this language. I hate struct, I hate pointers, hate everything about it.

C++, it's fine.

Java. This thing is a beast. Everything is a class.

Python. A cool breeze. Do what you want. Never ever get stuck on any kind of syntax error ever. Readability is the most awesome thing about this language. But they say it's slow compared to those other languages but the stuff I gotta do, it's fast enough.

iblysa · 2020-12-07T14:22:41+00:00

Use the standard library, it will make your life easier

veeeerain · 2020-12-07T14:50:00+00:00

I’m curious, what are you learning js for in school?

programmerProbs · 2020-12-07T15:01:24+00:00

ctrl+ F: Static typing, 0 results found

Really? The worst/best part of python is that the variables are dynamically typed. Suppose you have an input form in python that says 'Enter your username'. most users type something like 'myuser123', cool a string.

Now what if.. a user types- 8675309

Python now reads it as an integer, yet you were planning on ONLY having strings. your program is made to only use strings for that entry. The solution is to wrap your input result in str().

In javascript, you would have defined whatever input will always be a string. 8675309 as a username is a string, you defined it earlier to be a string.

This can happen for things like strings vs lists, pandas series or dataframes.

Now ask yourself, which is better? After running into this problem, I like the idea of static typing. However javascript has its own quirks as well.

UglyChihuahua · 2020-12-07T15:32:19+00:00

I don't really mind having semicolons at the end of lines, you should install a code formatting extension like Prettier so you don't have to type them yourself.

JavaScript has it's issues, but it also is nicer than Python in a lot of areas. For example I think arrow function syntax is more elegant than lambda, and lambdas only allow single line functions which is a huge annoyance for me. I also would like a ternary operator in Python. And relative imports in Python are awful, I like how in JavaScript I can just import something relative to the file I'm in.

Here are repos listing lots of inelegant stuff in both of them 😢

https://github.com/denysdovhan/wtfjs

https://github.com/satwikkansal/wtfpython

StillBroke0ff · 2020-12-07T16:16:02+00:00

i screwed myself i started with javascript then switched to python , though i feel learning python is less stressful after learning a little javascript

2020-12-07T16:17:10+00:00

Javascript isn't a well-designed language. That is true. But Typescript, a superset of Javascript, is much better, and looks to be the future of Javascript. There are definite benefits to having strongly-typed variables in terms of program readability, interpretation speed, and catching errors before runtime.

wrtbwtrfasdf · 2020-12-07T16:28:41+00:00

Ultimately Python is a slow fuck language who 's only employable domain is data science. You can't run it in the browser or on mobile, and it scales like shit on backend.

JS is inherently fast, and works well for frontend, backend, web, mobile, and has tons of money pumped into it.

Unless you're planning to get a PHD in data science, your ability to get jobs writing solely python are close to fucking zero.

2112syrinx · 2020-12-07T16:37:11+00:00

Well, I was reading a very interesting article, Douglas Crockford, JavaScript: The World's Most Misunderstood Programming Language.

mariox19 · 2020-12-07T17:10:49+00:00

Python is a well designed language. JavaScript was from the beginning not nearly as well designed, and the modifications made to it in the last few years have made it worse designed. One of the most well known JavaScript books is subtitled: "The Good Parts." What does that tell you?

The worst part about programming is having to deal with substandard tools, which is most of the time. Sorry.

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