Difference Between C++ And Python

C++ and Python are both popular programming languages. Python is a popular, high-level, and object-oriented programming language. On the other hand, C++ is a general-purpose programming language.

In this article, we will discuss the difference between C++ and Python. Before discussing the difference, we must know about C++ and Python.

What is C++?

C++ is a high-level and general-purpose programming language developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1979. It is an extension C programming language , i.e., C with classes. The concept of object-oriented programming was first introduced in the C++ language. C++ is also known as an object-oriented programming language.

It was designed for system programming and embedded system but later on, it was used in developing various applications such as desktop applications, video games, servers such as e-commerce, Web search or SQL servers and performance-critical applications such as telephone switches.

Simple Hello World Example of C++

Let us take a simple example to print the Hello World in C++.

Example


#include <iostream> // Header file for input and output

using namespace std; //Using standard namespace

int main() { // Main function - starting point of the program

    cout << "Hello, Cpp Tutorial World!" << endl;  // Print Output message to the console

    return 0;   // Return 0 to indicate successful execution

}

Output:

Output


Hello, Cpp Tutorial World!

What is Python?

Python is a general-purpose and high-level programming language developed by Guido van Rossum in 1991. The main aim of developing the python language was its simplicity. It contains features like indentation, which makes the code more readable, and it also contains library functions that make this language more powerful.

It is declared as a top language in IEEE's 2018 Top Programming Languages. Due to its popularity and simplicity makes python more powerful in the industry.

Simple Hello World Example

Let us take a simple example to print the Hello World in Python.

Example


# simple "Hello, World!" program in Python  

# using the print() function to print the text "Hello, Cpp Tutorial World!"  

print("Hello, Cpp Tutorial World!")

Output:

Output


Hello, Cpp Tutorial World!

Key differences between C++ and Python

There are several key differences between C++ and Python. Some main differences are as follows:

Definition

C++ is a high-level and object-oriented programming language that allows us to do procedural programming, which is very close to the CPU and provides full control over the hardware.

On the other hand, python is an interpreted, high-level, and general-purpose programming language used to develop all types of projects.

Ease of Learning

One of the major factors for beginners is the ease of learning. If the programming language is hard, it becomes difficult for the programmer to learn. The syntax of python is similar to English. Therefore, it is very easy to learn.

On the other hand, C++ is based on the object-oriented concepts that deal with the memory allocation. If we write the wrong program in C++, it can destroy the system also.

Speed

C++ is faster once compiled as compared to the python programming language. On the other hand, python is slower than C++ because it uses an interpreter and also specifies the data type at run-time.

Memory Management

In C++, we need to allocate the memory to the new variables and deallocate the memory whenever the variable is no longer required. If we do not do so, it can lead to a memory leak. Therefore, we can say that C++ does not provide inbuilt garbage collection and dynamic memory management. On the other hand, python provides the inbuilt garbage collection and dynamic memory management mechanism, i.e., it allocates and deallocates the memory on its own.

Compilation

Python is an interpreted programming language, so it requires an interpreter at the time of compilation. On the other hand, C++ is a pre-compiled programming language, so it does not need any interpreter at the time of compilation.

Readability

C++ has a complex syntax, which is difficult to read and write. It follows the programming rules, like we need to use the curly brackets and semicolons at the end of the statement. On the other hand, python does not follow these programming rules. It uses the indentation rules, which are similar to the English; this indentation allows the programmer to understand the code more easily.

Variable declaration

In C++, we need to declare the variable by mentioning the type and name of the variable before using it. Therefore, C++ is a statically typed programming language. On the other hand, Python is a dynamically typed programming language, which means that we do not need to declare the variable before using that variable.

Examples

C++ Program

Example


#include <iostream>  

using namespace std;  //using standard namespace

int main()  //Main Function

{  

    int a=20;   //initialize variable with their value

    std::cout << "value of a is : " <<a<< std::endl;  

    return 0;  

}

Output:

Output


value of a is : 20

Python Program

Example


# python program  

#integer assignment  

a=20  

print(a)

Output:

Explanation

In the above two programs, the output would be 20. The difference in the above two programs is that in C++, we need to declare the variable with its type, while in python, we do not need to declare the variables.

Functions

In C++, the function accepts and returns the type of value according to the definition, which is pre-defined. For example, suppose we have a function int add(int a, int b), this function will accept only integer values as an argument and return the integer type value. On the other hand, in Python, there is no limitation on the type of the argument and the type of its return value.