Both programming languages have pros and cons that make them better for
some tasks than others.
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[Bash][2] and [Python][3] are most automation engineers' favorite programming languages. Both have pros and cons, and sometimes it can be hard to choose which one you should use. The honest answer is: It depends on the task, the scope, the context, and the complexity of the task.
Let's compare these two languages to get a better understanding of where each one shines.
### Bash
* Is a Linux/Unix shell command language
* Is great for writing shell scripts that use command line interface (CLI) utilities, utilizing output from one command to another (piping), and executing simple tasks (up to 100 lines of code)
* Can utilize command-line commands and utilities as-is
* Has better startup time than Python but poor execution time performance
* Does not come preinstalled in Windows; your script might not be compatible with multiple operating systems, but Bash is the default shell on most Linux/Unix systems
* Is _not_ fully compatible with other shells (e.g., csh, zsh, fish)
* Piping ("|") CLI utilities like sed, awk, grep, etc. can slow its performance
* Lacks many functions, objects, data structures, and multi-threading, which limits its use for complex scripting/programming
* Lacks good debugging tools and utilities
### Python
* Is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language, so it's more general purpose than Bash
* Can be used for almost any task
* Works on most major operating systems and is also installed by default on most Unix/Linux systems
* Is very similar to writing pseudo code
* Has simple, clear, easy-to-learn, and easy-to-read syntax
* Has lots of libraries, documentation, and an active community
* Provides better error handling features than Bash
* Has better debugging tools and utilities than Bash, which makes it a great language for developing complex software applications involving many lines of code
* Applications (or scripts) can contain many third-party dependencies that must be installed before executing them
* Requires writing more lines of code for simple tasks than Bash does
I hope these lists give you a better understanding of which language to use and when to use it.
Which language do you use more in your day-to-day work, Bash or Python? Please share in the comments.
