Are you a programmer with an eye on the latest trends and upcoming languages? Or are you completely new to the field of programming and unsure on which language to start with? Well, there are over 600 programming languages, and this number is constantly increasing. Being a dynamic field, the rate of old languages becoming obsolete and disappearing is also very high. So, for any programmer, it is very important to learn new languages and frameworks to stay in the market. This knowledge ensures they can grow their career with in-demand rising new languages.
There are several reasons why clients want their projects developed in big, popular and latest languages. Opting for a popular language ensures support, better foundation and heaps of value to the client. So, most programmers look forward to upgrading their skills in these languages rather than investing their time in small, lesser-known languages.
But how do you analyze whether a language is in demand or not? One of the primary indicators is the job demand for that language. Every language has its own primary purpose and may not be equally relevant to all developers. To choose which language makes the right choice to upgrade your skills and knowledge, you need to have a basic understanding of all the languages. This knowledge helps you make informed and well-researched choices.
Here are the most popular languages of 2018 that every programmer needs to know about:
1. Node JS
An open source, a cross-platform runtime environment, Node JS is built on V8 JavaScript Engine by Chrome. It enables users of JavaScript to perform server-side scripting and also run scripts to produce web content dynamically. It is not a traditional programming language, and its execution is quite different. Node JS is more of a run-time environment. It has an event-driven model that uses non-blocking I/O.
It was first introduced in 2009 by Ryan Dahl. Initially, this language had developed support for Mac OS X and Linux. The support for Windows was introduced in 2011. Node JS is efficient, light-weight and scalable. It can be easily used for real-time and data-intensive applications.
Node JS can be easily learned by both backend and frontend developers.
Features:
- Single threading so it supports thousands of concurrent connections.
- Unified API that allows Node JS to be combined with JSON data, browser and more.
- Library of Node JS is asynchronous.
- Highly scalable to a large number of requests.
- Application output the data in chunks so there is no buffering involved.
- Execution of code is very fast.
- Well instrumented for usage in production.
- Versatile and is being used by an exhaustive list of applications, projects, and companies.
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2. Laravel
A new generation web application framework, Laravel is a popular PHP framework. It possesses an expressive elegant syntax that reduces code writing thus reducing the chances of errors. It makes the whole process of coding lot easier and fun, thus making development creative and enjoyable. The main aim of this framework is to ease common tasks in coding and reduce the pain points faced by developers.
This open source framework provides powerful tools that are easily accessible. It eases tasks like routing, authentication, caching and sessions that are commonly used in most web projects. Laravel provides high-level abstractions as well as clear conventions for problem-solving.
Laravel is quite famous with business and developers due to its vast features. The newer version of Laravel has simplified the methods injection. It can easily cover the needs of the small as well as large enterprises. Being a feature packed platform, it also provides a very strong community support to resolve any programming issues.
Features:
- Support for MVC architecture.
- Strong security for web applications.
- Bcrypt Hashing algorithm to generate encrypted passwords.
- Built-in lightweight templates and dynamic content seeding to create layouts.
- Option to write SQL queries in PHP with Object Relational Mapping.
- Facilitates unit testing for developers.
3. React
A JavaScript library, React is mainly popular for building user interfaces. Though it is not a complete application framework, it has gained immense popularity among developers. This UI component framework is a frontend library that has been developed by Facebook. It can be used as a base for mobile app development as well as single pages development.
The support is provided by a community of companies and individual developers along with Facebook. After creation, React was first deployed in the Facebook newsfeed. This component was open sourced in May 2013.
Features:
- Component-based management that makes it easy to create complex UIs.
- Option to develop new features that can be reused without rewriting code.
- Seamless creation of interactive UIs.
- Easier to debug and makes code predictable with declarative views.
4. Ruby
A framework that makes it easy to develop web applications, Ruby has mainly gained popularity for its fast development. It is one of the most loved programming languages present in the market today. This is a high-level language that makes it possible to achieve several things with just a few lines of code. Developers love Ruby for its ability to develop a readable, clean code. Ruby was developed in mid-1990’s and several releases have been introduced since then.
It is a friendly, scalable and easy-to-use platform. Ruby on Rails is the most popular Ruby Framework. It is dynamic, object-oriented and reflective.
Features:
- Support for multiple programming paradigms.
- Imperative and functional language.
- Offers automatic memory management.
- Includes a dynamic type system.
- Thorough object-oriented structure.
- Dynamic alteration and reflection of objects.
5. Vue
A JavaScript framework, Vue is an open source platform for developing user interfaces. It is a progressive framework that can be easily integrated into other projects. The framework can also be used as a web application framework. Developers have been using Vue to develop single page applications.
When Vue is used in combination with supporting libraries and modern tools, it helps generate powerful single page apps. Vue is one framework that most front-end developers want to learn.
Features:
- Follows an HTML based template syntax.
- The app can be divided into a set of self-contained, small and reusable components.
- An easy interface to change elements.
- Variety of ways to apply transition effects.
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6. Python
A cross-platform language, Python is a high-level programming language. It is an interactive, object-oriented and interpreted scripting language that makes code highly readable. The best part about this language is that it uses English words frequently in the code. If you are a beginner who has never programmed before, Python is the best language to start with. The syntactical simplicity of this platform allows beginners to perform advanced levels of coding easily.
As Python is an integrated language, the code is interpreted line by line during execution. Developers do not need to learn a special editor, build a system or develop an IDE to use this platform.
Python can be used for a wide range of applications, right from www browsers to games development. It is also ideal for ad-hoc programming and prototype development. It is the core language for data mining, scientific computing, and machine learning.
Features:
- Debugging is easy due to the interpretive nature of the language.
- Open source and free language with the source code freely available.
- Supports the object-oriented concepts of objects and classes.
- Can be easily integrated with other languages.
- Equally runs on different platforms like Mac, Unix, Linux, and Windows.
Final Words:
Vast resources and support available for these popular programming languages ensures you do not get stuck anywhere! You need to look beyond the obvious before choosing a programming language. Most of the new-age languages focus on making your code clean, accurate and stable. Languages like Python are the most in-demand languages and are powered by strong frameworks. Today, the top web application developers, agencies & firms make it a priority to stay updated with the latest updates and trends in programming languages. If you are a developer working in any agencies or firms, you will come across clients with unique and specific needs. You need to have an idea of different programming languages so that you can make the best recommendation to your clients.
Are you ready to code, program or debug? Start with choosing a programming language that focuses on key elements you are looking for. From developing games and mobile applications to building server-side apps, every language has a specific purpose. You need to know what application you are looking for. While learning the basics, if you start enjoying the results you will surely love to explore that language further. It is always smarter to specialize in more than one language as frameworks and technologies may get obsolete in some years. Even the top tier languages have faded away with time. Keep upgrading yourself to stay ahead in this competitive market. Learning a new programing language or going to the advanced level of a language should be the annual goal of every programmer.
Web developer and SEO specialist with 20+ years of experience in open-source web development, digital marketing, and search engine optimization. He is also the moderator of this blog "RS Web Solutions (RSWEBSOLS)".
