Both Python and C++ are very popular programming languages. Which of the two is better for robot programming? Or maybe other programming languages are more suitable for robotics? Check it out!
Why use mature programming languages for robotics?
In the very beginning, robots could be programmed only with the use of low-level, earliest programming languages, but they used to have basic functionality. Low-level languages are now mostly used as hardware description languages. Although they are still used in robotics when you ask programmers about the top robot programming language, they would probably choose one of the very mature programming languages. C++ was introduced into robotics in 1982, and Python in 1990. C++ is highly praised for its performance and Python for its ease of use. Both C++ and Python are considered to be the most popular programming languages in robotics. Why using high-level programming languages is profitable?
– you can use very advanced debugging tools;
– you can reuse the code for programming different robots;
– the languages are popular, so you can easily find help if having any problems;
– you can add some advanced functionalities by applying existing software libraries.
Python vs C++
What are the major features of each of the robot programming languages?
C++
C++ is a high-level programming language based on the C language. It is one of the object-oriented programming languages. The main characteristic of C++ is high performance and easy-to-organize code. C++ can be used for low-level robot programming, as well as high-level machine learning and artificial intelligence. Some may say, that C++ is hard to learn and time-consuming when it comes to writing good-quality code, but still it is the most used programming language in robotics.
Python
Python is the best programming language for those who appreciate simplicity and ease of use. Python is formed as a way to imitate the regular English language, so it’s understandable for aspiring programmers with basic programming skills. Python is the leading programming language for data analysis and machine learning. It is very often used with Raspberry PI, which is a popular robot operating system. Python gives access to many libraries, and it’s quick to write well-working code.
Which is the best programming language for robotics?
The robotics programming there is no one proprietary programming language, everything depends on the context. You can both use C++ and Python, or even JavaScript with Java Virtual Machine. C++ is great when it comes to maximizing the performance/productivity ratio. Python is good if you need real-time performance, like testing and developing prototypes. Which one is better for robotics? Most programmers will say that C++, but both of them are top programming languages used in robotics.