docs/2.developers/4.user-guide/10.introduction/60.why-pathway.md
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With its full Python compatibility, Pathway is easy to use, from the installation to the maintenance.
pip install pathway.::
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Pathway efficiently associates the convenience of Python with the power of Rust.
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Pathway is a fully Python-compatible framework.
You can install it with a simple pip install pathway and import it as any Python library.
Pathway provides a Python interface and experience created with data developers in mind.
You can easily build pipelines by manipulating Pathway tables and rely on the vast resources and libraries of the Python ecosystem.
Also, Pathway can seamlessly be integrated into your CI/CD chain as it is inherently compatible with popular tools such as mypy or pytest.
Your Pathway pipelines can be automatically tested, built, and deployed like any other Python workflow.
Pathway can be easily deployed in any container-based method (docker, Kubernetes) supporting the deployment of Python-based projects.
Pathway relies on a powerful Rust engine to ensure high performance for your pipelines, no matter if you are dealing with batch or streaming data. Pathway engine makes the utmost of Rust speed and memory safety to provide efficient parallel and distributed processing without being limited by Python's GIL.
Pathway engine is based on Differential dataflow, a computational framework known for its efficiency to process large volumes of data. Its incremental computations make it able to quickly process data updates. This means that the minimum work needed by any algorithm or transformation is performed to refresh its results when fresh data arrives.
Batch processing and stream processing are seen as two distinct approaches to handling data.
<!-- However, when you think about it, all the data we interact with is, in essence, a data stream. Data is typically generated and updated over time. -->Pathway is a unified data processing framework that allows you to use the same code for batch and streaming. All the complexity, including late data and consistency, are automatically handled and hidden from the user. Pathway provides advanced streaming operations, such as temporal windows, while keeping the simplicity of batch processing.
With Pathway, you don't have to choose between batch and stream processing. You can make your pipeline and focus on the data transformation you want to do. The resulting pipeline will work with both batch and stream processing. Not having to distinguish between batch and stream --and use different tools for them-- highly simplifies your architecture (bye-bye Lambda architecture) and the development of your pipeline.
With its unified engine and full Python compatibility, Pathway makes data processing as easy as possible. It's the ideal solution for a wide range of data processing pipelines, including:
Learn more about the real-world applications of Pathway on our solutions page and our success stories page.