Saying that there is a best programming language is a half-truth. Each programming language has a purpose behind its design and depending on each case, a programming language can be anywhere between “obsolete” and “the only plausible choice for that particular problem.”
On the other hand, we can always count on usage metrics to see which programming languages are becoming more popular as time goes by. You could argue that the most used programming language is not necessarily the best. So we are classifying them on a scale of usability, that is, because the language is being widely used, then it is worthwhile to learn to code in it.
The list corresponds with the results of Stack Overflow’s 2018 Developer Survey.
1. Javascript, HTML, CSS
Actually, Javascript is the only real programming language in this group, as HTML and CSS are used for visualization rather than logic.
Javascript is the language of the modern internet. It is used by 69.8% of the surveyed developers and may stay that way for quite some time. It is a high-level language that allows the programmer to embed logic to a website, which is easily picked up by the web browser. Javascript can work with user input without needing to go back to the server, as it can edit the current HTML document on the fly. Web development is growing at an unprecedented rate, which is why Javascript and HTML/CSS programmers (two vital components of what’s known as front-end development) are highly sought-after.
When learning Javascript, it is best to learn ECMAScript, which is its set of standard practices. There are also several powerful frameworks which can help in making mobile and responsive websites in just a few minutes. These are also important to master.
2. Python
Python is a high-level scripting language. It is quite easy to learn and nowadays it is one of the first choices when learning to program, thanks to its forgiving syntax and its simple treatment of some concepts.
What makes Python one of the best programming languages is that programs written in it are really easy to maintain, as bugs are much less frequent when compared to compiled languages such as Java or C. Nevertheless, this is also a weakness.
Because Python programs are scripts, the computer must read the whole code and then interpret it to run the instructions. In compiled languages, such as Java and C, the code is compiled into a low-level instruction set, which is much easier for the computer to run. Additionally, compilation must only occur once, whereas Python must interpret the code each time the program must be executed.
Among the great benefits of Python is the vast array of packages, specially those dedicated to data science and machine learning. Currently, Python is one of the fastest-growing languages, and it is considered the standard language for data science, data mining and machine learning.
3. Java
Good ol’ Java is a high-level object-oriented language. It has been an industry standard for years. One of the main benefits of Java is that its programs can run wherever there is a Java Virtual Machine (or JVM for short) available.
Java was for some time the best programming language for large-scale projects. It is used for everything between large banking information systems, mobile apps and Blu-ray players, which follows the “write once, run anywhere” (WORA) principle.
It is easy to write code with Java, but writing good code is quite the challenge. Java programs are usually slower than one would expect, mainly because of the JVM, but that’s not a problem if the programmer knows the language’s internal workings and its usage of pointers and memory.
Chances are that, if you’ve been a programmer for at least a year, you probably already know these languages. If not, then rest assured that any of these would be a fine place to start your computer programming journey.
3 top Programming Languages at Mahisoft
- Java (with Spring and Spring Boot)
- JavaScript (with React)
- Python
Be an expert in these programming languages and join our team! Send us your CV to recruiters@mahisoft.com
