One of the most important skills to learn today is knowing how to write a computer program. There are around 600 programming languages out there, each with its own complexities and idiosyncrasies. Mainstream and established programming languages are slowly losing ground to newer projects aiming at breaking traditional boundaries. Whether you’re new to programming or looking to brush up on your skills, read below a list of languages that are in high demand nowadays and probably will be in the coming years.
Python – Open Source, Perfect for Beginners
Conceived in the late 1980s by the Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum, Python is today one of the most in-demand programming languages across the globe. It is ideal for beginners and provides excellent library support. Python can be used for various software platforms, data science, data analysis, artificial intelligence, deep learning, enterprise application, and even web development. Some of the world’s most well-known websites are all built in Python: Netflix, Instagram, Spotify, Uber, Dropbox, Pinterest, Lyft. One major drawback is that Python is not suitable for mobile application development. It’s also slower compared to other languages by virtue of being an interpreted programming language.
Java – The Number One Programming Language for Enterprises
Due to its stability, Java is a massively popular programming language used by many large organizations around the world. Java offers a powerful interpreted programming language with a moderate learning curve and high developer productivity. Some of its key features include backward compatibility, database connection, big data analysis, web development, XML parsing. Java is also widely used in Android App Development. In fact, Google has created an excellent Java-based Android development framework – Android Studio. Its main drawback: because of its bulky size, it’s not quite cloud friendly. Examples of great Java apps: Maestro Mars Rover controller, Wikipedia Search, Minecraft, NSA Ghidra, Integrated Genome Browser.
Swift – The Language Behind iOS Applications
Announced by Apple in 2014, Swift is a new programming language used to develop iOS, tvOS, and macOS applications. Developed mainly to replace Objective-C in the Mac and iOS platforms, Swift is gaining popularity in other domains as well. Swift is very fast, compared to other popular programming languages, and it encourages developers to write clean and readable code. For now, it has limited community support and resources, but experts see a bright future for this new language. Top organizations/applications using Swift: Facebook, WhatsApp, CNN, Slack, Accenture, Twitter, Fitbit, Airbnb, Uber.
R Language – Popular for Machine Learning
R Language first appeared in 1993 but has become quite popular in the past few years among data scientists and machine learning developers for its functional and statistical algorithm features. One of the two most popular programming languages used by data scientists (along with Python), R is open-source and supports Linux, OS X, and Windows operating systems. This increasingly popular programming language includes functions that support classical statistics, clustering, linear modeling, non-linear modeling, classifications, and much more. On the downside, R Language is quite difficult to learn, it lacks proper documentation for some libraries and is relatively slower compared to Python. Top companies using R programming: Ford Motor Company, Facebook, Google, John Deere, Microsoft (Azure ML framework), New York Times, Thomas Cook, ANZ Bank, Novartis.
Go – New, Pragmatic, Friendly
Go is an open-source programming language developed by Google in 2009 that makes it easy to build simple, reliable, and efficient software. Golang is ideal for those who want to take their first steps into systems programming. Go incorporates the simplicity and productivity of Python with the functionality of C and C++ without the difficult syntax and steep learning curve. While it is a relatively new programming language, Go has a large standards library and extensive documentation. Real-life examples of apps made with Golang: Monzo (banking app), Allegro (eCommerce app), SoundCloud (music app), Badoo (dating app), Timesheets (project management app).
Learning a new programming language can be a wise investment of your time and brainpower. If you or your employees already know how to code in some of the established languages, then you can learn a niche, modern one. This list is by no means a ranking, and my advice for beginners is to start by learning one of the mainstream and established programming languages.
