January 12, 2022

"Beginners (and experienced coders alike) often wonder which programming language to focus on when learning a new one."

What is the Best Programming Language?

The best programming language to learn relies on your level of coding experience and personal preference. Here is a list of the ten most demanding programming languages. There are examples of each language's Usage and Applications to help you decide.

JavaScript

JavaScript was formerly known as LiveScript when introduced in September 1995 as part of Netscape Navigator 2.0.

Pros:

• JavaScript is an excellent coding language to learn because it is relatively easy to grasp.
• JavaScript integrates well with other languages and applies to many applications.

Cons:

• Because JavaScript only supports single inheritance, multiple inheritances are not possible.
• JavaScript does not include a copy or a similar method.
• Different browsers interpret JavaScript differently.

Usage:

JavaScript supports a large number of libraries and frameworks for development. Angular, Vue, and React are front-end frameworks, while Node.js is a powerful back-end language. Jest and Mocha are two versatile tools that assist in creating unit tests to determine whether or not the functionality is functioning as intended.

Java

James Gosling primarily designed Java at Sun Microsystems in 1996.

Pros:

• Object-Oriented programming language.
• Java provides APIs for various tasks, including database connection, networking, XML parsing, and utilities.
• Open source rapid development tools that are extremely powerful.
• It is straightforward to learn a programming language with many open source libraries.

Cons:

• Java's memory management is quite expensive.
• Without templates, you may be unable to create high-quality data structures.

Usage:

Java is primarily used to develop Android applications, web applications, and big data.

Additionally, Java has many libraries and frameworks that make use of Java. Java is used to develop applications via Spring and Hibernate. JUnit enables us to quickly and easily create unit tests for our Java projects. Most significantly, Java is used to create native Android applications.

Python

Guido van Rossum created the Python programming language.

Pros:

• Python is Object-Oriented Programming (OOPs) driven and supports multiple systems and platforms.
• Contributes to the productivity of programmers.
• It is an excellent coding language to learn because it enables you to scale even the most complex applications quickly.
• Extensive Assistance Libraries.

Cons:

• Note particularly well-suited for mobile computing.
• Python's database access layer is somewhat primitive and underdeveloped.

Usage:

Web and Internet development, scientific and numerical applications, desktop graphical user interfaces, and business applications are all possible.

Moreover, Python includes web development tools such as Django and Flask, while scientific tools such as Jupyter and Spyder in analysis and research. Selenium is available for automation.

C++

C++ is a programming language developed in 1983 by Bjarne Stroustrup.

Pros:

• There are numerous compilers and libraries available.
• It lacks a background garbage collector.

Cons:

• Due to the complexity of the syntax, this language is complicated to learn for a beginner programmer.
• C++ programmes are incapable of implementing garbage collection or dynamic memory allocation.
• C++'s object orientation system is overly simplistic in comparison to other languages.

Usage:

C++ for the development of games, advanced computations, and graphics compilers.

C++ in analytics, research, and game development. A popular game development engine uses C++ as the scripting language for all functionality defined while developing a game.

Other Important Programming Languages

• Dart is ideal for developing applications that must run on various platforms, including Windows and iOS.
• Kotlin creates applications for the Android operating system.
• MATLAB is a MathWorks-developed proprietary language used for scientific research and numerical computing.
• Perl originated as a text-based programming language, making it simple to learn and famous for developing proofs of concept.
• While Ruby is losing popularity compared to other programming languages, the Ruby on Rails framework influenced subsequent Web application frameworks for Python, PHP, and JavaScript.
• Rust places a premium on performance and security, making it ideal for applications with a high number of concurrent tasks.
• Scala, a play on the word scalable, is compatible with Java and is well-suited for cloud-based applications.

Conclusion

The type of software one intends to create is a factor in determining which programming languages to learn. As far as which, developers should use the programming language to make which type of software, there are no hard and fast rules.

• Web-based startups are more likely to use Python and JavaScript as programming languages.
• Larger organizations typically develop internal software applications in C# or Java and web applications in PHP.
• Typically, data analytics uses R and MATLAB programming languages.
• Automotive and healthcare industries run C, C++, or Rust-based software.
• Cloud-based applications use Go or Scala.
• Swift or Kotlin-based mobile applications are becoming increasingly popular.

Happy Programming!

Image source: Unsplash

Dr Nivash Jeevanandam PhD,
Researcher | Senior Technology Journalist