Is Julia The Best Option For Data Scientists?

Is Julia The Best Option For Data Scientists?

Most budding data scientists/data science primarily work on Python or R. The latter was created from scratch to develop into a programming language for statistics and mathematics.

In contrast, the former began as a friendly and versatile programming language that quickly relieved those frustrated by R’s limitations and syntax.

Java is another broad-spectrum programming language that makes use of classes. But now, we must also consider Julia — the latest in high-level programming languages.

The Established Languages

The Established Languages - R and Python for data science

There is not a shadow of a doubt about which of these two is more common in today’s day and age. Python has comfortably surpassed R as the prevalent computer programming language in data research. R isn’t awful; on the contrary, it’s tremendously powerful and supports the most academically minded communities.

Disappointingly, R is infamous for its obnoxious syntax, non-standard solutions, and inefficient memory management. It’s an old technology, but its abundance of toolkits and scientific libraries make it a must-have for any data scientist’s toolkit.

That isn’t to suggest that Python doesn’t have its share of issues. To begin with, Python development is sluggish and slow. This may not be a big concern for small applications, but these extra seconds add up quickly when dealing with terabytes or gigabytes of data.

Since its inception, it has transformed the web experience from simple text sites to diverse pages with movies and action. Additionally, it has traditionally been the most widely used server language.

Although this is no longer the case, Java has ruled for a long time and attracted a large community; as a result, it continues to enjoy widespread support.

Advantages Of Learning Programming Languages

There are various advantages to learning a programming language for better career prospects. Let’s take a look!

Python

Learning Python has numerous advantages; one of them is that it opens many doors of opportunity in the market.

It is regarded as the most rapidly evolving primary programming language that may be used for a wide range of tasks. Consequently, it can be found in almost every field.

Python’s contributions to machine learning and artificial intelligence are recognized across the globe. In addition, learning Python can lead to careers in game creation, banking and trade, and security plotting data analysis, to name a few.

Java

Java Programming Language for data science

In terms of performance and concurrency, Java outperforms Python. Python, on the other hand, has several advantages, such as its simplicity.

Java is a computer programming language that is compiled. Thus, Java has a lot in common with conventional programming languages like C/C++. However, the constraints of C and C++ have been removed.

Android applications are straightforward to understand if you are familiar with the language. Java is a free, open-source programming language that may be downloaded from Java’s official website.

So, if you’re looking to learn to program, Java is probably the best possible option. Moreover, being a specialist in Java opens up the prospect of lucrative possibilities in top-of-the-line firms.

Career Outlook For Data Scientists

Both Java and Python are regularly recommended as good places to start for newcomers.

However, while choosing languages, abilities, and projects, it’s always a good idea to think about what kinds of career choices are accessible and how much value you’ll get for your time spent learning.

A data scientist’s/data science job could be gratifying, and everyone should attempt it at least once.

However, if you’re going to put in the time and effort to learn a complete programming language, it’s legitimate to consider how it will affect your professional path.

Why Are Data Scientists Exploring Other Options?

Although Java and Python are widely used languages, they are also disliked because they lack multithreading capabilities. In addition, few libraries allow codes to run parallel, but these resolutions will only bring you this far due to the worldwide interpreter lock.

This may not feel like a huge deal, but you have to keep it in mind. We’ve had multithreaded CPUs in the market, and we’ve also got GPUs that can do incredible calculations, but none of them are being used.

Pandas provide an excellent answer by including faster methods than regular Python loops; however, this is at best a bandaid. The fastest way to loop in Python, according to one coder, is not to loop at all.

Will Julia Overshadow Other Languages?

Will Julia Overshadow Other Languages? data science for parallel computing, scientific computing & write code in julia for data science using external libraries.

Will Julia be the go-to option for data scientists/data science in the future? Let’s discuss!

Julia, in essence, is a computer programming language created by the American computer scientist Jeff Bezanson and other collaborators and was launched in 2012.

They describe it as the product of avarice, the craving to develop an advanced programming language with performance comparable to C+, in other words, to include all of it in one package.

Julia’s progress as a mathematics-friendly computer programming language has been nothing but extraordinary. According to research, people have downloaded Julia around 30 million times.

Moreover, it is used in over 15,000 businesses all over the world. Although this may not feel like a lot, it’s astonishing for a young language.

To put things in perspective, the TIOBE index featured Julia among the top 30 programming languages in 2018. However, it is currently ranked 25th in 2021, and TIOBE believes it will break into the top 15 by the year’s end.

Features Of Julia

Features Of Julia Programming Language - scientific computing & parallel computing

Julia’s creators aimed to make a system that has the speed and swiftness of C+, the vigor of Ruby, the syntax of MatLab, the statistical applicability of R, and the application of Python and r. Additionally, they’ve set a high bar for themselves.

Go through these elements of Julia to attain their objectives!

  • Julia is compiled just-in-time (JIT) using the technology of the LLVM compiler for better runtime efficiency
  • Julia, if operated by a skilled programmer, can match C-like speeds without losing readability.
  • Julia has a command line that is more interactive as compared to Java or Python and r. With the help of keystrokes, you may construct test portions or unique scripts of code
  • Julia may use libraries written in C, R, Python, Java, or Fortran
  • Julia supports foreign function interfaces to appease the trendy computer programming languages
  • Julia’s embedding API can also be used to call Julia from various languages
  • Julia has a straightforward syntax. It is included amongst the simplest syntaxes in the market, albeit it is not as simple as Java or Python
  • Julia features some of the most user-friendly debugging tools for backtracing the source codes
  • Julia supports Metaprogramming. It can make other programs as well or rewrite the source codes in a style that is similar to Lisp
  • Julia is intended to work in parallel at all levels, including multithreading, dispersed computing, scientific computing, parallel computing and GPU computing

Julia was also created from a good base, keeping machine learning in mind, and it already comes with a robust set of libraries meant for artificial intelligence development.

Typical machine learning methods such as decision trees, generic linear models, and clustering are examples of MLJ.

Julia is a cross between R’s math-centric model and Python’s easy-to-learn learning arc and multipurpose functionality. Basically, it is just Python with the addition of:

  • NumPy
  • SciPy
  • Pandas

Julia, in reality, was designed with machine learning and statistical workloads in mind.

It has significant advantages over Python because it was designed specifically for high-level statistical work. Furthermore, it outperforms “vanilla” Python when it comes to linear algebra/large scale linear algebra.

This is because, unlike Julia, Python does not support all machine-learning equations and matrices.

While Python is a fantastic language, Julia outperforms it in terms of non-package experience, as Julia is more suited to machine learning calculations.

Julia is popular among data scientists/data science because it is simple to learn. It integrates nicely with other computer programming languages, is easy to incorporate into projects, and links other computer languages. In addition, it’s a comprehensive data analysis solution.

Application Of Julia In Businesses And Enterprise Software

Information and technology have become the primary determinants of business organizations.

Large-scale software programs designed to track and control all aspects of business operations are known as enterprise software systems.

The software facilitates decision-making and reduces the use of reporting methodologies. But, how? Let’s discuss

Improve IT Infrastructure Reliability and Protect Customer Data

Instead of a small-scale speedy solution, an integrative benefit enterprise holds improved reliability.

The systems will be more functioning and have a higher uptime. Furthermore, if properly managed, data collecting would ensure a consistent client experience.

Customer data is strengthened by reliability. Unfortunately, customer data misuse has been reported in large numbers over the last few years.

As a result, customers are more cautious while disclosing personal information to avoid impediments.

Availability Of Information

Saying no to halt is impossible in today’s business atmosphere. In the near future, gaining access to information will be pointless.

It’s challenging to distinguish correct information when there’s new information every day.

Real-time access to data allows users to see data as soon as it becomes accessible. As a result, having software that guarantees information is at your fingertips sets a minimum standard for the business.

Data processing and storage capacities for high-speed data are rapidly improving.

In the face of real-time data, business executives tend to execute better and more efficiently. This is because the information provided is always up to date.

Data Protection

Data protection is the process of securing essential and secret information from unauthorized access, corruption, or forgery.

As more data is collected in one location, the realization of data security becomes more acute. As a result, today’s business faces a relief in developing an effective organizational strategy and maintaining data security and abandonment deterrence.

However, as the amount of data collected grows, more safeguarding mechanisms must be implemented.

Bigger Investments

Investors are expanding their horizons and dreaming big. Their desire to meet organizational objectives has resulted in a positive mindset. As a result, they are assisting a company in comprehending the value of working on software techniques.

Investors believe that to succeed; a software development company must become proficient in the use of data. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused firms to reconsider their strategies. Work from home has become increasingly popular, and it would be costly to develop software to deal with personnel.

Collaboration, along with productivity and security, has also become essential. For instance, Zoom and Slack have millions of users, and their security has been questioned.

Setting up Enterprise Resource Planning

Companies would benefit from deploying ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) to improve their customer service experience. When manual alternatives were at their peak, automation played a vital role in removing the commotions.

ERP ensures automation and monitors personnel to guarantee that each consumer has a unique experience. Furthermore, it ensures that the streamlining is handled correctly.

Identifying Data Protection Software Solutions

File integrity monitoring (FIM), which enables enterprises to secure their enterprise, is protected by regulations. Changes to applications, files, routers, databases, and other network devices are detected by File Integrity Monitoring.

It records all of the specifics of the change and determines whether or not it poses a security concern.

Organizations must be able to control and monitor the changes that occur. Knowing about specific software and its functional capabilities would eliminate a slew of previously unknown roadblocks.

Drawbacks Of Julia

Yes, we like Julia, but we are also aware of some of Julia’s shortcomings. For example, in contrast to the industry norm, Julia doesn’t start the display index at 0 but at 1.

This was a deliberate move, made to attract individuals coming from various other math-centric languages. Still, it will lead to endless hassles for folks accustomed to 0 being the first entry of a display index.

To be reasonable, 0-indexing is a trial feature in Julia. However, it’s an illustration of what transpires when you make a particular programming language for everything: some aspects will wind up clunky.

Finally, Julia’s main concern is that it is still young. Working with Julia involves needing to do a lot of programming yourself because the repositories and libraries pale in contrast to Java or Python.

Of course, as the data science community becomes more extensive, this will be a minor issue, but it’s still something to consider.

Key Takeaways

Julia is gaining popularity quickly, and everyone seems to enjoy the language. Thankfully, this hasn’t developed into a competition.

In fact, with more advanced tools at your hands, the better will be your work as a data scientist/data science. It is a great privilege that Julia can co-exist with Java and Python.

The versatility and speed Julia offers assist data scientists in programming source codes. Moreover, with the rising demand for data scientists/data science across the globe, there are bright career prospects if you get familiar with Julia as a long term software development strategy.

Ryan is the VP of Operations for DEV.co. He brings over a decade of experience in managing custom website and software development projects for clients small and large, managing internal and external teams on meeting and exceeding client expectations--delivering projects on-time and within budget requirements. Ryan is based in El Paso, Texas.
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Ryan Nead