The Engineering Projects

Latest Deep Learning Frameworks

Hello peeps. Welcome to the next tutorial on deep learning. You have learned about the neural network, and it was an interesting way to compare different types of neural networks. Now, we are talking about deep learning frameworks. In the previous sessions, we introduced you to some important frameworks to let you know about the connection of different entities, but at this level, it is not enough. We are telling you in detail about all types of frameworks that are in style because of their latest features. So before we start, have a look at the list of concepts that will be covered today:

• Introduction to the frameworks of deep learning.

• Why do we require frameworks in deep learning?

• What are some important deep learning frameworks?

• What is TensorFlow and for which purpose of using TensorBoard?

• Why Keras is famous?

• What is the relationship between python and PyTorch?

• How can we choose the best framework?

What Is A Deep Learning Framework?

Deep learning is a complex field of machine learning, and it is important to have command over different types of tools and tricks so that you may design, train, and understand several types of neural networks efficiently with the minimum amount of time. Frameworks are used in many different types of programming languages, and this is the software that, by combining different tools, improves and simplifies the operation of the programming language.

The best thing about the frameworks is that they allow you to train their models without knowing or bothering about the algorithms that are running behind the programming. Isn’t it amazing to know that you will get a helping hand to understand and train your model without any worries? Once you know much about the different frameworks, it will be clear to you how these frameworks do some specific types of tasks to make your training process easy and interesting.

Why do We Need a Framework for Deep Learning?

In the beginning, when you start the programming of the deep learning process by hand, you will see some interesting results related to your task. Yet, when you move towards complex tasks or when you are at the intermediate level, you will realize that it is strenuous and time-consuming to perform a simple task at a higher level. Moreover, the repetition of the same code can sometimes make you sick.

Usually, the need for a framework arises when you start working with advanced neural networks such as convolutional neural networks, or simply CNN, where the involvement of images and video makes the task difficult and time-consuming. These frameworks have pre-defined types of networks and also provide you with an easy way to access a great deal of information. 

Detail of Deep Learning Frameworks

With the advancement of deep learning, many organizations are working to make it more user-friendly so that more people can use it for advanced technologies. It is one of the reasons behind the popularity of deep learning that a great deal of deep learning frameworks is introduced every year. We have analyzed different platforms and researched different reports. We found some amazing frameworks, and our experts have been checking them for a long time to provide you with the best framework for your learning. Here is the list of the frameworks that we will discuss in detail with you, along with the pros and cons of each. 

1. Tensorflow

2. Keras

3. PyTorch

4. Theano

5. DL4J

6. Lasagna

7. Caffe

8. Chainer

We are not going to discuss all of them because it may be confusing for you to understand all the frameworks. Moreover, we believe in smart working, and therefore, we are simply discussing the most popular frameworks so that you may learn the way to compare different parameters, and after that, you will get the perfect way to make modules, train, and test the projects in different ways for smart working.

TensorFlow

The first framework to be discussed here is TensorFlow, which is undoubtedly the most popular framework for deep learning because of its easy availability and great performance. The backbone of this platform is directly connected to Google’s brain team, which has represented it for deep learning and provided easy access to almost all types of users. It supports Python and some other programming languages, and the good thing about it is that it also works with dataflows. This point makes it more useful because, when dealing with different types of neural networks, it is extremely useful to understand the progress and the efficiency of your model. 

Another important point to notice about TensorFlow is, it creates models that are undemanding to build and contain robust.

TensorBoard

A plus point about this framework is another large package called TensorBoard. There are several advantages to this fabulous data package, but some of them are listed below:

• The basic working of this package is to provide data visualization to the user, which is a great step for the ease of the user, but unfortunately, people are less aware of this, although it is a useful item. 

• Another advantage of tensorBoard is that it makes the sharing of the data with the shareholders easy and comfortable because of its fantastic data display. 

• You can use different packages with the help of TensorBoard.

You can get other basic information about TensorFlow by paying attention to the following table:

Keras

The next on the list is another famous and useful library for deep learning that most of you may know about. Keras is one of the favourite frameworks for deep learning developers because of its demand and open-source contributors. An estimate says that 35,000+ users are making this platform more and more popular. 

Keras is written in the Python programming language, and it can support high-level neural networks. You must keep in mind that Keras is an API, and it runs on top of highly popular libraries such as TensorFlow and Theano. You will see this in action in our coming lectures. Because of its user-friendly features, Keras is used by a large number of companies as a startup and is a great tool for researchers and students.

User-Friendly 

The most prominent feature of Keras is its user-friendly nature. It seems that the developers have presented this framework to all types of users, no matter if they are professionals or learners. If users encounter an error or issue, they should receive transparent and actionable feedback. 

Modular System

For me, modularity is a useful feature because it makes tasks easier and faster. Moreover, the errors are easily detectable, which is a big relief. The modularity is shown with a graphical representation or sequence of information so that the user may understand it well. 

Perfect for Advanced Research

Here's some good news for researchers and students. Keras is one of the best options for researchers because it allows them to make their own modules and test them according to their choice. Adding the modules to your project is super easy on Keras, and you can do advanced research without any issues.

PyTorch

Our next topic of discussion is PyTorch. It is another open-source library for deep learning and is used to build complex neural networks in an easy way. The thing that attracted me to this library is the platform that introduced it. It is developed under the umbrella of Facebook's AI Research Lab. I'm curious about how powerful it is because every time I open my Facebook app, I find the content I've chosen and wished for. People have been using it for deep learning, computer vision, and other related purposes since 2016, as it is a free open source for AI and related fields. By using PyTorch with other powerful libraries such as NumPy, Tensor, etc., you can build, train, and test complex neural networks. Because of its easy accessibility, PyTorch is popular among people. The versatility of the programming languages and different libraries working with PyTorch is another reason for its success.

Hybrid Front-end

A feature that makes it easy to use is its hybrid front-end nature, which makes it faster and more flexible to use. The user-friendly nature of this library makes it the perfect choice for professionally non-technical people. 

Optimized Performance

With the help of its torch-distributed backend, you can have optimal performance all the time and keep an eye on the training and working of the network you are using. It has a powerful architecture, and on an advanced level, you can use it for complex neural networks.

Versatility

As you can guess, PyTorch is run with the help of Python, which is one of the most popular and trending programming languages, and the plus point is that it allows many libraries to be used with it and work on neural networks.

How Can You Choose Best Framework For You?

Since now, we have been talking about the frameworks, and the basic purpose of discussing different features was to tell you the difference between them. A beginner may believe that all frameworks are the same, but this is incorrect because each framework has its own specialities and the difficulty level of using them varies. So, if you want to work perfectly in your field, first you must learn how to choose the best framework for your task. Keep in mind, these are not the only points that you need to know; all the parameters change according to the complexity of your project.

Consider The Needs of Your Project

Not all projects are the same. You do not have to use the same framework every time. You must know more than one framework and choose one according to your needs. For example, for simple tasks, there is no need to use a complex framework or a higher-level neural network. There is versatility in the projects in deep learning, and you have to understand the needs of your project every time before choosing your required framework. As a result, before you begin, you should ask yourself the following questions about the project:

1. What are you using? Modern deep learning framework or are you interested in the classic ML algorithms?

2. What is your preferred programming language for the AI modules?

3. For the process of scaling, which type of hardware and software do you have for the working?

Once you know the different features of the frameworks, you may get the answers to all the questions given above.

Optimization of Parameter?

Machine learning is a vast field, and with the advancement of different techniques, there is always a need to compare the parameters all the time. Different algorithms follow different types of parameters, and you must know all of them while choosing your framework. Moreover, you must also know if you are going with the classic built-in machine-learning algorithms or want to create your own. 

Hence, we learned a lot about the frameworks of deep learning today. It was an interesting lecture where we saw the detailed introduction of the framework and compared TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Keras by discussing several features and requirements of all these frameworks. We will see all the discussion in action in the coming lectures. The purpose of this session was to clear the concept of working and variations in the framework and in this way, you have the idea how deep learning is useful in different ways. Researcher are working in deep learning and it is one of the basic reason behind the develorpment of different frameworks.