Recursion is (in many, but not all) languages slightly slower, and it does have some dangers (smashing the stack), but used properly it's a completely legitimate, valuable tool for production code.

Over the past few years, it has exploded in popularity. Thanks to Microsoft’s Python extension for Visual Studio Code, VS Code has also become one of the best tools for working with Python.

Learn how to code with the best Python courses available, helping you unlock new job opportunities with the in-demand skill. Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team.