Which Programming Languages Are Most In-Demand?
One of the most fascinating things about technology is the rate it evolves: from the world-changing (self-driving cars, 3D printed limbs) to the wonderful everyday consumer products (5G, Virtual Reality), our world is constantly in flux.
This partially explains why tech companies’ language preferences are constantly evolving too. Web pages, apps and demands for mobile grow more complex. Meanwhile, software developers and tech companies use (and augment) some languages over others. So preferred languages evolve, rise and fall.
Here are some coding trends we’ve noticed in recent time:
The Hot Tickets
One of the most popular languages with our students (if not the single most popular) is Python. A recent survey by the IEEE (Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) ranked languages based on industry trends, employability and popularity in open source communities. Python topped the list overall.
The same survey ranked Java number one for employability, followed by C and then Python.
Python’s surge is based on a few factors, chief of which is probably its usability. Relatively easy to learn, the language is used by Google, Facebook, Dropbox, and NASA.
Java is still a hot property. The language is favored for very large web back-end projects and can be used across multiple platforms. It’s also a common language for teaching the principles of software engineering. That said, it’s not ideal for small projects and – in the eyes of many software developers – is unnecessarily complicated.
On a different survey, by Stack Overflow, Javascript was the most popular language among coders, followed by SQL, Java, C# and Python.
The Falling Stars
Just like in every other industry, coding is beholden to trends. Once promising languages like Visual Basic are now becoming obsolete. Others, like Cobol and Fortran are not in mainstream use. Cobol is only used in some corners of the financial industry while research institutions mainly opt for Fortran.
In truth, once a language hits a certain threshold, it can take decades to truly die. But obviously, the more broadly popular a language is with coders, their departments and their employers, the better it is for students to learn.
Tips for the Future
Javascript is probably the most popular language on the planet right now, while Python is continuing its rapid ascent.
When preparing for such industry changes, nothing beats curiosity: A coding career is a combination of following your own passions and aptitudes, and adapting to what’s required. This could mean reacting to industry trends, or even learning to use a language that a team or project is using.
We update our software development courses in collaboration with employers to meet their needs. And just like the industry itself, our curriculum is constantly evolving.
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