Web scraping refers to the method of extracting information and data from the content of websites through bots. Unlike on-screen scraping, which copies pixels on the screen, it is all about capturing the underlying HTML code.
Web scraping helps extract useful content from websites. The choice of the right programming language plays a key role in it. Read on to find out the top programming languages that can help you with web scraping.
Python
Python is the best programming language for web scraping. It has the ability to extract data completely from several processes in a hassle-free way. It utilizes Beautiful Soup and Scrapy – two popular frameworks.
While Beautiful Soup supports quick extraction of data, Scrapy comes with a wealth of debugging tools. In addition, Pythonic idioms support the modification, searching, and navigation of a parse tree.
Python abounds with visualization options that pose the problem of choice for users. In terms of a programming language, R competes with Python and provides breathtaking visualization.
Node.js
The best feature of Node.js is its dynamic coding. As such, it gets preference over other options for crawling on compatible web pages. Besides, it is also capable of creating applications that do not prevent the input or output of data. Its hallmark feature of using JavaScript events makes it possible.
It comes with a built-in library and you can also make HTTP calls with it. Cheerio makes the extraction of data and implementation through jQuery simple and easy.
However, it does not favour high-end projects and lacks stable communication. There are better options for scraping large amounts of data than Node.js.
Ruby
As an open-source programming language, Ruby includes high productivity, less-complicated features, and convenience to write. Also, it involves Lip, Ada, Eiffel, and other languages.
With the help of imperative programming, it balances functional programming. Also, Ruby on Rails makes coding simple and easy for both developers and programmers.
Using Ruby translates into getting valuable tools such as NokoGiri, Pry, and HTTParty for easy web scraping and debugging.
However, while most programming languages are run by companies, Ruby is run by the community of users. Further, it operates at a slow pace. By the acceptable standards of operational pace, it is slow compared to other programming languages.
Despite being capable of multithreading, it brings several efficiency-related issues to the fore. As a result, it also consumes the bulk of the resources.
C++
C and C++ constitute the best options for the execution of web-related projects. But due to the cost factor, its deployment can be challenging for any professional. The only situation in which you can choose it is when you do not have any issue with costs. One way to overcome this challenge is to confine the use of C++ to data extraction.
It is a less-complicated option that is simple and easy to use. While scraping an item with C++, you do not need to walk the DOM tree. Also, with C++ at your disposal, you can put the worries of making any change to the HTML document at bay. For parallelizing scrapers, there is hardly a better option than C++.
However, C++ is not such a language, and therefore, it is not the best option for web scraping. Using it for web scraping can be an expensive option. Despite being capable of data extraction, C++ does not come across as the best option for setting up crawlers.
PHP
Among the list of the existing programming languages, PHP lies at the bottom. In most cases, professionals choose other programming languages for working with crawler programs. Instead of PHP, experts choose cURL for extracting photographs, videos, and graphics.
PHP offers fewer async and multiple threading options compared to the other programming languages. So, choosing it can lead to queuing and scheduling problems.
Final thoughts
No language is either useful or useless on its own. The way it fulfills the requirements of a user determines its usefulness. Every programming language has its own characteristics. Therefore, to choose the right programming language, you need to consider the pluses and minuses of each programming language. By doing so, you can accomplish the task of web scraping along with a competitive edge.