Top programming languages to choose for your future project in 2022
The programming language you are going to pick makes up a big deal of the future success of your work if it is chosen correctly. Just type in “top programming languages of 2021” in a search bar and you’ll get another popularity ranking. It may be shocking that generally businesses don’t benefit from this data the way developers do. What businesses really need is to set the stack of technologies and programming languages for their upcoming project.
For the sake of that, we avoided boring popularity contests and listed top-tier programming languages founded on the sphere and objective of their application. Here are the 9 leading coding languages of 2021 to take keep in mind for your project (the languages are arranged in alphabetical order):
- C#
- C++
- Java
- JavaScript
- Kotlin
- PHP
- Python
- Rust
- Swift
So let’s break down each of the languages to identify the perfect one for your upcoming project.
C#
Based on Microsoft’s C# record, you can tell that C# is a contemporary, type-safe, object-oriented programming language. C# language is from a C family. That’s why, programmers will instantly see hints of C, C++, Java, and JavaScript in a C# based work.
Being created for Microsoft’s .NET platform, C# is mostly used to build desktop apps that run on Windows. Apart from that, C# can be as well used to build web and mobile apps. However, C# is no match for JavaScript in web development or for Swift/Kotlin in iOS/Android development.
It’s important to mention that C# is at the base of the Unity platform. For that reason, you can often come across it in gaming. So if you plan on making a Windows or Unity-based project give C# a try.
C++
C++ is a high-level, general-purpose coding language originally created as an extension of the C programming language, or “C with Classes”. Today, C++ challenges other languages in the history of application and users in the difficulty of learning it.
In addition to that, C++ is a fast, powerful, and cross-platform language that is used to make tons of different software. The sphere that lets features of C++ shine is cloud computing and game development, where speed is the key requirement.
Given the above, C++ is an all-around programming language for app creating and perfect if your project is highly dependent on speed.
Java
Java is another programming language that serves general purposes. It is a 1995 cross-platform, object-oriented language. When using it, you don’t have to recompile Java code in case the platform you want to run it on supports Java. Java apps can be compiled to bytecode and can be further run on the Java Virtual Machine (or JVM).
Simply put, Java is a platform-agnostic language that runs on devices supporting the JVM. As a result, it has gained much popularity with the international dev community. Desktop, web, Big Data, and Android projects can be easily developed with the help of Java.
JavaScript
JavaScript, which can be mistaken for a Java extension, is a dynamic, high-level, multi-paradigm programming language. As it has prooved to be an easy learn, you can often see people call it the “most popular programming language”.
Now, JavaScript is indeed among the most liked coding languages. And consequently, it is a buzzword of programming languages. Java is favored in the global dev community thanks to its unconventional way of dealing with certain things.
Mainly created to run in a browser, JavaScript is widely applied for the front-end of web development. Despite that, JavaScript has a broad collection of libraries and frameworks that let you create much more. Moreover, you can use node.js, desktop computers, and mobile devices to run JavaScript on servers in addition to that you can use JavaScript to power microcontrollers.
Kotlin
Kotlin’s official website claims it to be a contemporary programming language that increases the developer’s happiness. Even if some developers may not fully accept it, Kotlin is receiving more recognition among developers of Android applications. While Java still standing as the most common language of Android running apps, Kotlin is taking over it in this niche because of its simple and concise syntax.
Kotlin is a general-purpose and cross-platform language that can be implemented in numerous spheres, including Android development, front-end, and back-end web dev, and working with data science. Kotlin is also well interoperable with Java. Running on top of the JVM, Kotlin can add up to existing JVM libraries diversifying the possibilities of its application.
To top it all off, Kotlin is becoming the notion of quality in the flield of Android. Many companies that develop mobile applications are going for Kotlin for their fresh Android projects. Yet, it won’t make Java go to the oblivion of Android development. It’s still used to run existing Android apps and build new ones.
PHP
PHP is known as an in-demand general-purpose scripting language that you can find most often in web development. Fast, flexible, and pragmatic, PHP is at the foundation of everything from your blog to the most visited websites in the world, according to its official website.
Despite expert talks that the language has been falling behind JavaScript in popularity, PHP plays a big part in web development. PHP’s abundance can be well seen due to its use in WordPress.
Python
Python’s official website states that Python is the programming language that will let you work quickly and effectively. In other words, it’s syntax is quite simple but it is still a powerful coding language. This is what earned Python popularity with international developers.
Python is the language that people learn widely today. Due to its simplicity, some specialists recommend newbies to learn Python before getting to other languages. Modern IT industry has seen many different uses of Python, that vary from automation, scripting, front-end and back-end web development to data science and machine learning.
Rust
Rust saw the light in 2010. Rust creators, Mozilla and Graydon Hoare, claim that this is the language that fits best for creating efficient and reliable software. Despite being released not so long ago, it has been one of the fastest-developing programming languages.
Rust supporters position this safe, fast, and memory-efficient language as a rather good alternative to C/C++. You may also see some developers argue that this is the most loved language among systems developers.
Rust advantages make it a common choice when making VR apps, game engines, developing operating systems, and other similar systems where good performance is critical. The reason for such performance is that Rust, like C++, can produce code that can be viewed as “native” to the CPU. Simply put, Rust is one of the few programming languages that operate directly without any intermediate layer like virtual machines.
Swift
Introduced in 2014 by Apple, Swift is the choice you are going to make when developing apps for the Apple ecosystem. Swift has become the merit for writing these apps from scratch despite Objective-C still supporting existing apps.
Swift became open-source in 2015, what let developers use it outside of the Apple ecosystem. Thanks to Vapor, Kitura, and other frameworks, it can be applied for server-side development. On top of that, it is predicted to be one of the merits in machine learning, thanks to Swift for TensorFlow.
The Programming Languages to Watch for in the Future
As we went into 2021 top programming languages, it’s time we went on to the future and what to expect of it. According to Robert С. Martin (you may know him as Uncle Bob), a respected programming specialist with over 50 years of expertise, functional programming may take over the IT industry in a bit more distant future.
More specifically, Martin has been supporting Clojure. His blog post will give you more detail on why to consider switching to Clojure.
Clojure has been around since 2007, and now you can use it as a substitute to Java or JavaScript, which it is also well compatible with. Clojure is supported by the JVM and can use every existing Java library.
How to Pick the Proper Programming Language for Your Upcoming Project
Given descriptions of programming languages, you cannot say ones are good and the others are bad, as each one of them has its own purpose and field. However, when you have a specific goal and idea, you can see which language would fit the project better or worse.
There are many different factors to take into account before choosing the proper programming language to work with. Besides picking from one of the leading languages in the sphere of your work, you should also consider the language’s libraries and frameworks as well as the community around the language.
