Haskell vs Python
Haskell is a general purpose purely functional programing language. It was designed for research, teaching, and industrial applications.
If you are interested in building system tools, compilers, blockchain platforms, web applications, cryptography applications, fintech, etc. you should learn Haskell.
On the other hand, Python is a general-purpose programming language that focuses on simplicity and readability.
Rather than building all of its functionality into its core, Python was designed to be highly extensible through modules.
Python is commonly used for web development, GUI development, system administration, software development, automation, testing tools, machine learning, data analytics, data visualization, and data science.
If you are interested in working on web development, machine learning, automation tools, and data science, data analytics, you should learn Python.
Comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn can be tricky, there are many factors to consider in order to choose the right programming language for the job you want to do.
Popularity, opportunities, types of projects, salaries, resources, learning curve, etc. are some of the factors that many people consider when comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn.
Here are some of the comparisons and considerations you should make when choosing to learn a new programming language.
HASKELL VS PYTHON POPULARITY
Comparing the popularity of programming languages is not an easy task because each programming language is different and they all seek to solve different problems.
Plus, other programming languages have been around for a longer time than others, giving them more time to be tried and tested, so, bear that in mind.
If you want to learn a programming language solely for its popularity among developers, you should learn Python over Haskell.
Generally, Python is more popular than Haskell. The TIOBE index 2023 ranks Python as the most popular programming language while Haskell is ranked as the 34th most popular programming language.
According to a Stack Overflow survey of 2022, Python is the 4th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 43.51% of professional developers.
On the other hand, Haskell is the 30th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 1.94% of professional developers according to the same survey.
Python is also more loved than Haskell. As of 2022, Python is loved by 67.34% of developers versus 32.66% of developers who dreaded it.
On the other hand, Haskell is loved by 56.44% of developers versus 43.56% of developers who dreaded it.
Ultimately, if your choice of which programming language to learn depends on popularity, you should learn Python.
Also check Should I web developers know Haskell?
HASKELL VS PYTHON SALARY
Another popular criterion that many people use to compare programming languages and as an incentive to learn a new programming language is salary.
Salaries for developers differ from one company to the other and from one country to the other.
Experience is another factor that comes into play as far as salaries are concerned. The more experience you have with a certain technology or programming language, the more likely you are of getting a higher salary.
Generally, Haskell developers get higher salaries than Python developers.
According to a Stack Overflow survey of top-paying programming languages, Haskell developers get an average salary of $80,250 per year.
On the other hand, Python developers get an average salary of $71,105 per year, about $9,000 less than Haskell developers.
So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a language, you should learn Haskell over Python, because you are more likely to get a higher salary as a Haskell developer than as a Python developer.
Here are some of the popular jobs you can get as a Python Developer.
HASKELL OR PYTHON WHICH ONE IS EASIER
Python is generally easier than Haskell, Python has an English-like, easy-to-understand syntax that makes it very easy to write code.
It is also easy to maintain and debug Python code because it is more readable. Getting started with Python as a complete beginner is much easier than with Haskell.
Haskell is also easy to work with, but it can be a little bit difficult sometimes, especially for complete beginners.
Haskell has a higher learning curve when compared to languages like Python. However, if you are coming from a systems development background, you will find Haskell easy to work with.
The good news is that there are plenty of helpful resources for both Python and Haskell to help you learn the languages.
The Python and Haskell communities are very active and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.
HASKELL VS PYTHON PERFORMANCE
In general, Haskell provides better performance than Python. Haskell is known for its high performance and ability to handle complex mathematical computations.
Due to its functional nature, Haskell programs are often designed to be more concise and expressive than their imperative counterparts.
The purity of Haskell code makes it easy to fuse chains of functions together, allowing for performance benefits.
Haskell is also known for its strong type system, which helps to prevent common programming errors and improve overall program correctness.
Due to its performance and other features, Haskell is commonly chosen for industrial applications.
FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
Haskell is a purely functional programming language; this means that functions generally have no side effects.
Haskell’s notable features include statically typed, type inference, concurrency, lazy evaluation, pattern matching, list comprehension, etc.
These and many other features make Haskell a popular choice for industrial applications.
Haskell is used by Facebook to implement its anti-spam programs. The Cardano blockchain platform is implemented in Haskell.
The Target stores’ supply chain optimization software is also written in Haskell.
Other companies that use Haskell include GitHub, New York Times, Bluespec, Standard Chartered, Microsoft, Google, Hasura, Bitnomial, Intel, Siemens, Serokell, Foxhound Systems, Stack Builders, AT&T, Scarf, Fission, Mercury, and many others.
On the other hand, Python has a large standard library that provides tools and features suited for many applications. It supports many standard protocols and formats like HTTP, MIME, and many others.
It also includes modules that can be used for relational database connection, unit testing, and manipulation of regular expressions.
Python has many amazing features, libraries, and packages that make it a popular choice for web development, scientific and numeric applications, system administration, GUI development, and more.
Python powers some of the complex applications developed by companies like Google, NASA, IBM, Microsoft, Meta, Cisco, Duolingo, Pinterest, Reddit, Pixar, Netflix, and many others.
HASKELL VS PYTHON FOR DATA ANALYTICS
Python is more popular and widely used for Data Analysis than Haskell.
Python has a vast ecosystem of libraries and frameworks for data analytics and scientific computing, such as NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, SciPy, and Scikit-learn, among others.
These libraries make it easy to work with data, perform complex computations, and create visualizations.
Python also has a large community of data scientists and analysts who contribute to open-source projects and share their knowledge and expertise.
SHOULD I LEARN HASKELL OR PYTHON
Once you have compared the languages and evaluated all the factors, you can choose which programming language to learn depending on the factors that are on your side and what you want to build.
If you want a high-paying language that you can use for building system tools, compilers, blockchain platforms, web applications, cryptography applications, fintech, etc. you should learn Haskell over Python.
If you want a popular language that you can learn easily, develop applications quickly, and work on machine learning, data science, automation tools, and web applications, you should learn Python over Haskell.
