In today’s environment, the majority of IT organizations rely heavily on cloud computingfor efficient operations. If an IT organization wants to be successful, they have to make use of cloud services available in the market. Cloud computing allows organizations to have more power, resources, and tools virtually without having to install more and expensive hardware. During the inception of the cloud industry, many organizations were skeptical. They were hesitant to rely on these services, but today, the cloud industry is growing at an extraordinary pace. One such leader of the cloud industry is Amazon Web Services (AWS).
AWS stands for Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of Amazon. It provides cloud-based solutions to individuals, firms, and organizations. It is the most reliant, highly secured, and convenient cloud-based service provider. It is the world’s most widely adopted cloud platform that provides more than 200 cloud services to millions of its customers. The services are designed to be able to work with each other and produce a scalable and efficient outcome. There are 3 categories of services provided by AWS services: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS). AWS was launched in 2006 and has become the leading cloud platform amongst currently available cloud platforms. Cloud platforms have several advantages such as management overhead reduction, cost minimization, and many others. Even the Gartner Research suggests that Amazon is the Leader for Cloud Infrastructure & Platform Services (CIPS):
Amazon Web Services are known to be developer-centric and provide its customers with various software development kits (SDKs) for multiple programming languages. In order to be able to use these programming languages with Amazon Web Services, to improve your business operations, AWS has another service that is provided along with it called AWS Lambda. AWS Lambda is a service that allows you to run code and be able to work with AWS more efficiently. All you have to do is simply upload your code on the Lambda platform and the platform will take care of the rest. You will be able to vastly improve your AWS experience with the help of Lambda and your programming skills.
There are many programming languages out there having different characteristics, communities, support, and ecosystems of their own, out of which, some are supported by Lambda. It is impossible for someone to be able to study and work with all of these languages, thus it is important that you select one language which works best for you and the work for which you use Amazon Web Services.
Let’s take a look at these languages:
Java
Java was launched in 1995 and has been one of the most used programming languages of all time. It is one of the most reliable and productive options not just for AWS but for programming as a whole. Many major software applications and internet services are programmed using Java. Also, there are many java developers readily available at any given time both as contractors and full-time employees. Thus, while deciding which language you should pick for AWS, it goes without saying that Java should be considered as well. The reason that makes Java a good option is its libraries. The libraries in Java are very compatible and productive with many features and services provided by Amazon Web Services. Its unique characteristics such as platform independence, security, and object orientation make Java an efficient AWS language. Java is very popular for android devices and should definitely be considered if you ever plan to launch your products in android.
Python
Python is a highly dynamic, open-source, and high-level programming language. Ever since its inception, the Python language has been used for almost everything available out there today. From frameworks to enterprise applications, you will find python being used in most, if not all world-famous applications. AWS Lambda is no different. Even it supports the Python language and allows users to write codes in this language. Python is very easy to learn and is an easily readable language as well. This allows even beginners to be at ease when it comes to programming. Also, its performance is way faster than that of Java. Lastly, Python has many modules that help in cross-platform interaction as well as interacting with other languages. With the help of Python, you avoid any chance of overcomplicating your architecture. Thus, python provides increased productivity for not only experts but novices as well.
Ruby
Ruby is another object-oriented programming language that is easy to understand even for beginners, with no coding experience at all. For an Amazon Web Service customer, Ruby is not a new term. Ruby is known for its simplicity and reusable libraries. Due to its mass adoption, there are many libraries and tools available to help developers in rapidly creating applications. There is also concern among communities that as the number of libraries and codes increases, ruby becomes more difficult to manage. Ruby also has high scalability, meaning that users of Ruby can easily maintain big programs written in Ruby. Its syntax is clear and simple making it easy for new developers to understand. Moreover, ruby is preferred for the automation of tasks. Due to Ruby, developers can easily launch a variety of applications on Amazon Web Services.
PHP
PHP is a famous open-source language used for scripting. In order to be able to execute a PHP code, you will need a web browser. It is used by some famous companies such as Facebook, WordPress, and Imgur. PHP’s simplicity allows users to be able to learn and understand the language faster as compared to other programming languages. Instead of strict rules, it has guidelines for compiling a code and these guidelines are written by developers of PHP themselves. This lack of strict rules has led to many large projects not following a strict structure and having what is known as the “Spaghetti Code”. PHP is mostly focused on web applications so, with the help of PHP you can install many web applications in the Amazon Web Services.
Node.js
Node.js is one of the recently added languages in AWS Lambda support. The codes are written in JavaScript and run on the Node.js platform. Yahoo and LinkedIn have implemented a significant portion of their own applications on Node.js. It has many modules relevant to Amazon Web Services, making it easier for developers to work with Amazon. Higher spin-up time is required for client-facing applications and the spin-up time of Node.js is significantly higher than that of Java. Node.js also has a vast community of developers making it easier for you to find solutions to relevant problems in Node.js. Though it is to be noted that being relatively new, there aren’t as many resources available for Node.js as there are for other languages.
So far we have discussed the definition and characteristics of languages supported by AWS Lambda. You have to select 1 language out of these 5 for your organizational needs and operations in Amazon Web Service. In order to be able to select 1 language, you need to consider the following:
Problems to be solved
Different programming languages provide solutions to different problems. For instance, for performing functions that require high-level mathematical computations Python is the best option. For implementing enterprise-wide security applications, you would mostly prefer Java. So, before selecting a language, you need to evaluate the type of problems you want to solve, your business type, and your customers.
Availability of experts
Many companies would outsource tasks that they do not have in-house talent for. However, to be successful, you would prefer not to outsource and rather have in-house talent for your operations. Having in-house expertise significantly shortens your development cycles and increases the efficiency of your business. The availability of people who are experts in the aforementioned languages varies geographically. Some areas would have more experts in python than PHP, whereas in some areas the number of Java programmers is higher. Thus, it is important for your organization to evaluate the local workforce available and then select the right people accordingly.
Type of language
Lastly, it is important to also understand the categories under which the above languages will come. The languages mentioned above can be classified as either “Dynamic” or “Static”. Older languages fall under the static category. These languages provide a clean interface, safer and well-documented code. However, applications built using statically compiled code take a longer time to develop. On the other hand, Dynamic languages provide high-quality code and rapid development cycles. Choosing a static language would have made sense in the earlier years when computational powers were low. However, in the modern era, computational power isn’t an issue. Due to this, large numbers of start-ups prefer dynamic languages over static languages. Java comes under the Static category whereas Python, Ruby, Node.js, and PHP come under the Dynamic category.
So, you have to first properly evaluate your language needs on the basis of the three factors mentioned above and select the one that would work best for your business and customers. Many developers use the three factors above to come up with a shortlist, and then ultimately pick that language that allows them to iterate the quickest. Fast iterations help you test different ideas, determine problems, and come up with solutions. Many organizations fail to pick the most appropriate language for their business and ultimately fail. Amazon Web Services is a massive tool that has many exciting features to learn. Amazon Web Services has a lot to offer to its clients, more than 200 services, and much more. Organizations would prefer individuals who possess skills that help them in making the most of Amazon Web Services. In order to learn the skills required to become a pro in Amazon Web Service – The leader of the Cloud industry, consider completing an AWS training and certification course. This will certainly be a feather in your cap and help you stand out from the crowd of engineers.
Read More: How to switch careers in Python?
