There are a plethora of different programming languages that are used by developers across the world to bring their ideas to life. Every programming language brings something new to the table that sets it apart. Based on their advantages and potential applications, they enjoy different levels of popularity. Read on to find out more about the most popular programming languages this year and what makes them the preferred tools for developers around the world.
How to Gauge Their Popularity
There are different ways of gauging the popularity of programming languages. Some standards like TIOBE are based on a large number of parameters ranging from the number of skilled engineers, courses, and third-party vendors while others like PYPL are based on how often tutorials for the language are searched. Unsurprisingly, the most popular languages as per both the indexes are similar, albeit slightly shuffled.
Who Uses Them?
These programming languages are used by a wide array of organizations. Automotive firms like Tesla use them for autonomous driving, Amazon uses them for database management, web development, and cybersecurity. According to developers at Zibtek.com, they are used for various web development services, data protection, digital marketing tools, and app development. Their use spans across diverse fields; from mechanical engineering for executing simulations, to computer science and information technology for developing applications.
Python
Although it has been around for quite some time, the popularity and use of Python has been gaining traction in recent years. It has become the go-to platform for data science and machine learning. There are a large number of open-source libraries (like Scikit-learn) that can be used for free, both in an academic and professional context. Python also offers excellent integration with C++, which is also amongst the most popular languages in use. Moreover, it can be used for cybersecurity, as it allows the users to perform malware analysis, detect intrusions, and more. The best aspect of this language is undoubtedly its active community and support network. It is widely considered to be amongst the easiest languages to learn and has been used to develop platforms like Youtube and Instagram.
Java
Considering that Java is the language behind Android applications, it was bound to make it to this list. In addition to Android applications, it is also widely used for the development of games and web-based applications. Java, however, is slower than C++ in terms of compilation time. But on the other hand, it is extremely stable and easy to learn.
JavaScript
Not to be confused with Java, it is a scripting language that is widely used for the development of front-end applications and is the platform behind a large number of interactive user interfaces. JavaScript enables developers to use the same platform for both server-side and client-side development, which makes it a very convenient language. It is also widely used for machine learning.
C++
C++ is an object-oriented programming language which, like Python, provides access to a large number of libraries is considered one of the best programming languages for data security. It is widely used to write low-level systems, like operating systems, and is very stable and fast. Furthermore, a code written in C++ can easily be translated into machine language. However, one downside of the language is that its syntax is quite complicated, and it has a steep learning curve.
PHP
PHP falls in the same category as JavaScript and is a general-purpose scripting language. Just like JavaScript, it is well suited to web development and forms the backbone of various popular websites like Facebook, Wikipedia, Yahoo, and Tumblr. It is also open source in nature and thus, cost-effective. It offers cross-platform functionality, which makes integration with different web servers easier. Further, various frameworks are available that enable faster development of applications.
GO
It was developed at Google and is also referred to as GoLang. Developed for complex enterprise projects, it is an open-source language that has been gaining popularity over the years. It has been used to develop the popular music sharing platform – SoundCloud and is also used by the ride-sharing platform – Uber.
SQL
Technology evolves in the blink of an eye. The fact that SQL was developed almost 50 years ago and is still widely used today demonstrates its importance. Often referred to as a ‘sequel’, SQL stands for ‘Structured Query Language’. It is a domain-specific language that is used for database management and is employed by companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. It is also used by data scientists in addition to Python.
In addition to these, there are various other programming languages like C, C#, R, and Matlab that are widely used. Although the popularity metrics of programming languages keep on changing, the popularity of these languages continues to increase. All said and done, if you master any of these languages, it would be a great addition to your skillset.
