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Clojure vs JavaScript vs Python: What are the differences?
Syntax: Clojure uses a Lisp-like syntax with a heavy focus on parentheses, making it a functional programming language with a different syntax than JavaScript or Python. JavaScript and Python have more traditional syntax with curly braces or indentation rules, respectively.
Concurrency: Clojure has built-in support for immutable data structures and software transactional memory, which make it ideal for concurrent programming. In contrast, JavaScript and Python require external libraries or frameworks to handle concurrency effectively.
Interoperability: Clojure runs on the JVM and can seamlessly interoperate with Java code, allowing easy integration with the Java ecosystem. JavaScript and Python, on the other hand, have their own runtimes and libraries, making interoperability with other languages more challenging.
Type System: Clojure is a dynamically typed language that relies heavily on runtime checking, whereas JavaScript is also dynamically typed but has optional static typing with TypeScript, and Python is dynamically typed with gradual typing available using tools like Mypy.
Community: The Clojure community is smaller compared to JavaScript and Python, resulting in fewer libraries, tools, and resources available for developers. JavaScript and Python have large and robust communities with extensive ecosystem support.
Performance: Clojure's performance can be optimized through immutable data structures and functional programming techniques, often outperforming JavaScript and Python in certain use cases where these characteristics are crucial for efficiency.
In Summary, Clojure differentiates itself from JavaScript and Python through its syntax, concurrency support, interoperability with Java, type system, community size, and performance optimization techniques.
Pros of Clojure
- It is a lisp117
- Persistent data structures100
- Concise syntax100
- jvm-based language90
- Concurrency89
- Interactive repl81
- Code is data76
- Open source61
- Lazy data structures61
- Macros57
- Functional49
- Simplistic23
- Immutable by default22
- Excellent collections20
- Fast-growing community19
- Multiple host languages15
- Simple (not easy!)15
- Practical Lisp15
- Because it's really fun to use10
- Addictive10
- Community9
- Web friendly9
- Rapid development9
- It creates Reusable code9
- Minimalist8
- Programmable programming language6
- Java interop6
- Regained interest in programming5
- Compiles to JavaScript4
- Share a lot of code with clojurescript/use on frontend3
- EDN3
- Clojurescript1
Pros of JavaScript
- Can be used on frontend/backend1.7K
- It's everywhere1.5K
- Lots of great frameworks1.2K
- Fast898
- Light weight746
- Flexible425
- You can't get a device today that doesn't run js392
- Non-blocking i/o286
- Ubiquitousness237
- Expressive191
- Extended functionality to web pages55
- Relatively easy language49
- Executed on the client side46
- Relatively fast to the end user30
- Pure Javascript25
- Functional programming21
- Async15
- Full-stack13
- Future Language of The Web12
- Its everywhere12
- Setup is easy12
- Because I love functions11
- JavaScript is the New PHP11
- Like it or not, JS is part of the web standard10
- Expansive community9
- Everyone use it9
- Can be used in backend, frontend and DB9
- Easy9
- For the good parts8
- Powerful8
- Can be used both as frontend and backend as well8
- No need to use PHP8
- Easy to hire developers8
- Most Popular Language in the World8
- Its fun and fast7
- Hard not to use7
- Versitile7
- Nice7
- It's fun7
- Popularized Class-Less Architecture & Lambdas7
- Agile, packages simple to use7
- Supports lambdas and closures7
- Love-hate relationship7
- Photoshop has 3 JS runtimes built in7
- Evolution of C7
- Can be used on frontend/backend/Mobile/create PRO Ui6
- Easy to make something6
- It let's me use Babel & Typescript6
- 1.6K Can be used on frontend/backend6
- Client side JS uses the visitors CPU to save Server Res6
- Scope manipulation5
- Clojurescript5
- Everywhere5
- What to add5
- Promise relationship5
- Stockholm Syndrome5
- Function expressions are useful for callbacks5
- Client processing5
- Only Programming language on browser4
- Because it is so simple and lightweight4
- Test21
- Hard to learn1
- Subskill #41
- Not the best1
- Easy to learn and test1
- Easy to understand1
- Easy to learn1
- Test1
- Hard 彤0
Pros of Python
- Great libraries1.2K
- Readable code964
- Beautiful code847
- Rapid development788
- Large community691
- Open source438
- Elegant393
- Great community282
- Object oriented273
- Dynamic typing221
- Great standard library77
- Very fast60
- Functional programming55
- Easy to learn51
- Scientific computing46
- Great documentation35
- Productivity29
- Easy to read28
- Matlab alternative28
- Simple is better than complex24
- It's the way I think20
- Imperative19
- Very programmer and non-programmer friendly18
- Free18
- Powerfull language17
- Machine learning support17
- Fast and simple16
- Scripting14
- Explicit is better than implicit12
- Ease of development11
- Clear and easy and powerfull10
- Unlimited power9
- Import antigravity8
- It's lean and fun to code8
- Print "life is short, use python"7
- Python has great libraries for data processing7
- Rapid Prototyping6
- Readability counts6
- Now is better than never6
- Great for tooling6
- Flat is better than nested6
- Although practicality beats purity6
- I love snakes6
- High Documented language6
- There should be one-- and preferably only one --obvious6
- Fast coding and good for competitions6
- Web scraping5
- Lists, tuples, dictionaries5
- Great for analytics5
- Easy to setup and run smooth4
- Easy to learn and use4
- Plotting4
- Beautiful is better than ugly4
- Multiple Inheritence4
- Socially engaged community4
- Complex is better than complicated4
- CG industry needs4
- Simple and easy to learn4
- It is Very easy , simple and will you be love programmi3
- Flexible and easy3
- Many types of collections3
- If the implementation is easy to explain, it may be a g3
- If the implementation is hard to explain, it's a bad id3
- Special cases aren't special enough to break the rules3
- Pip install everything3
- List comprehensions3
- No cruft3
- Generators3
- Import this3
- Powerful language for AI3
- Can understand easily who are new to programming2
- Should START with this but not STICK with This2
- A-to-Z2
- Because of Netflix2
- Only one way to do it2
- Better outcome2
- Batteries included2
- Good for hacking2
- Securit2
- Procedural programming1
- Best friend for NLP1
- Slow1
- Automation friendly1
- Sexy af1
- Ni0
- Keep it simple0
- Powerful0
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Cons of Clojure
- Cryptic stacktraces11
- Need to wrap basically every java lib5
- Toxic community4
- Good code heavily relies on local conventions3
- Tonns of abandonware3
- Slow application startup3
- Usable only with REPL1
- Hiring issues1
- It's a lisp1
- Bad documented libs1
- Macros are overused by devs1
- Tricky profiling1
- IDE with high learning curve1
- Configuration bolierplate1
- Conservative community1
- Have no good and fast fmt0
Cons of JavaScript
- A constant moving target, too much churn22
- Horribly inconsistent20
- Javascript is the New PHP15
- No ability to monitor memory utilitization9
- Shows Zero output in case of ANY error8
- Thinks strange results are better than errors7
- Can be ugly6
- No GitHub3
- Slow2
- HORRIBLE DOCUMENTS, faulty code, repo has bugs0
Cons of Python
- Still divided between python 2 and python 353
- Performance impact28
- Poor syntax for anonymous functions26
- GIL22
- Package management is a mess19
- Too imperative-oriented14
- Hard to understand12
- Dynamic typing12
- Very slow12
- Indentations matter a lot8
- Not everything is expression8
- Incredibly slow7
- Explicit self parameter in methods7
- Requires C functions for dynamic modules6
- Poor DSL capabilities6
- No anonymous functions6
- Fake object-oriented programming5
- Threading5
- The "lisp style" whitespaces5
- Official documentation is unclear.5
- Hard to obfuscate5
- Circular import5
- Lack of Syntax Sugar leads to "the pyramid of doom"4
- The benevolent-dictator-for-life quit4
- Not suitable for autocomplete4
- Meta classes2
- Training wheels (forced indentation)1