[#]: collector: (lujun9972)
[#]: translator: ( )
[#]: reviewer: ( )
[#]: publisher: ( )
[#]: url: ( )
[#]: subject: (Bash vs. Python: Which language should you use?)
[#]: via: (https://opensource.com/article/19/4/bash-vs-python)
[#]: author: (Archit Modi (Red Hat) https://opensource.com/users/architmodi/users/greg-p/users/oz123)

Bash vs. Python: Which language should you use?
======
Both programming languages have pros and cons that make them better for
some tasks than others.
![][1]

[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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

via: https://opensource.com/article/19/4/bash-vs-python

作者：[Archit Modi (Red Hat)][a]
选题：[lujun9972][b]
译者：[译者ID](https://github.com/译者ID)
校对：[校对者ID](https://github.com/校对者ID)

本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出

[a]: https://opensource.com/users/architmodi/users/greg-p/users/oz123
[b]: https://github.com/lujun9972
[1]: https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/styles/image-full-size/public/lead-images/computer_happy_sad_developer_programming.png?itok=72nkfSQ_
[2]: /article/18/7/admin-guide-bash
[3]: /article/17/11/5-approaches-learning-python