The world of technology does not stand still, and each new year marks the fact that many discoveries and the latest developments await us, which will boost the development of various businesses and industries. Programming languages are no exception.
Every year, new programming languages appear that begin to fight for a place in the sun among the already established and time-tested technologies. The year 2022 has just begun, but we decided to compile a list of the most popular programming languages that will accompany the creation of new software products throughout the year.
This list will be extremely useful if you are on the verge of creating your own software product and have not yet decided on which technology to base it on and which of them is the most relevant in 2022. We will talk about what languages are famous for, briefly highlight the main advantages and mention which market giants use languages for their products. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
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Top Programming Languages
Note: Keep in mind that the places in this top do not indicate that one programming language is better than another. We have just collected a dozen technologies that are relevant in 2022 and deserve your attention.
Language #1. Javascript
We open our top with the basis of the foundations of the modern Internet, namely Javascript. This technology keeps more than 95% of the websites of the entire Internet afloat. And an interesting fact is that this language was not originally intended for creating websites. Developers used it to develop browsers, but today it is the main tool for creating websites and web applications.
In addition, earlier this technology was a fork of the full-fledged Java programming language, which is used to create software of varying complexity. However, today Javascript is a completely self-supporting technology that only vaguely resembles its “big brother”.
Language #2. Python
In second place we have a favorite of newbies – the Python programming language. This open-source technology is not only a tool for building applications but also an excellent foundation for creating machine learning algorithms. Due to its openness, this programming language has a huge number of different modules and add-ons created by the caring community of this technology.
Read: How Long Does It Take to Learn Python?
However, machine learning is not the only trump card in the sleeve of this technology. Various software for working with 3D graphics have been created with the help of Python, such as the super-popular free Blender 3D. In addition, it forms the basis of popular computer games, computing applications, and websites (YouTube, Instagram, and many others).
Language #3. Go
This programming language is the pride of Google and was originally created as a development tool for various APIs and web applications. Since its inception, the language has not had much popularity, but in recent years there has been a real revolution in the industry, and Go is today one of the most popular programming tools.
The main reason for this growth in popularity is the ability to work with multi-core and network systems, as well as ease of learning. This allows it to meet the needs of IT engineers working on large projects and systems around the world. This programming language is in the arsenal of such giants as Google, Uber, Twitch and Dropbox.
Language #4. Java
We just couldn’t make this list complete without mentioning one of the most popular programming languages - Java. This software creation tool came out from under the wing of Oracle. This language has gained immense popularity due to its portability and flexibility, which allows you to create truly feature-rich applications that can be used regardless of the platform, be it Windows, Android, or iOS.
At the moment there are more than 2.5 billion devices in the world that are based on Java technology. This programming language has a fairly wide range of applications and developers use it to create mobile and web applications, work with data and the server-side. This tool underlies popular services like Google, Amazon, and many others.
And do not forget about the large and lively community that conducts active discussions and helps beginners to join programming in this language.
Language #5. Kotlin
More than ten years ago, JetBrains created the Kotlin programming language and it has come a long way before the 1.0 version of the language appeared. We included it in this list because this tool is extremely flexible and compatible with Java, another popular programming language.
The main scope of this language is the creation of software for mobile devices based on Android. The popularity of this programming language is confirmed by the fact that it is used by such market giants as Coursera, Pinterest, and PostMates.
Language #6. PHP
PHP is one of the veteran development languages, having been around for over 30 years. Its high popularity is due to the fact that this tool is used to create the server part and scripts for websites and at the moment it is used by more than 90% of the world’s websites. However, the matter is not limited to scripts alone, and with sufficient technical knowledge, PHP can be used to create full-fledged mobile and desktop applications.
The popularity boost was also greatly influenced by the fact that PHP is quite easy to learn, which speeds up the process of entry into the industry for beginners.
Language #7. C#
The C# programming language is developed by Microsoft and has been on the market for over 20 years. This language is the main language for working on the .NET platform and it is very similar to C ++. The main area of application is the creation of software for Windows, Android and iOS platforms.
All thanks to the fact that this programming language uses an integrated product of the Microsoft Visual C ++ development environment. Apart from this, it is also not uncommon for developers to use this tool to work with the back-end, and at the moment this language has been used in such popular websites as ing, Dell, Visual Studio and MarketWatch.
Language #8. Swift
The Swift programming language has been around for almost eight years and is currently the main programming language for the iOS platform. Initially, this language was conceived as a replacement for the already outdated Objective-C, which was the main language of the platform before the arrival of Swift. So if you hire iOS developers for your project, you can be sure that they know both Objective-C and Swift.
The easy syntax is an undeniable plus of this programming language because it is easy to learn and extremely readable, which makes it easier to maintain applications. Swift is at the heart of popular iOS apps such as WordPress, Mozilla Firefox, SoundCloud, and many more.
Language #9. Ruby
Another programming language that is friendly to beginners is Ruby. This tool was created with an emphasis on making its syntax as simple and convenient as possible. And the creators succeeded, and besides this, the language did not lose its flexibility and possibilities.
This programming language underlies the web application platform called Ruby on Rails. Everyone who works with this programming tool praises it for its speed of learning as well as the incredible ease of writing code. Thanks to this, a fairly large community have grown around this language, which is constantly investing in the development of this programming language.
Language #10. C and C++
We could not help but include in this list some of the oldest programming languages that underlie many modern tools for creating software and applications. C and C++ are the progenitors of such programming languages as C#, Java and JavaScript.
However, let’s take a closer look at languages. First, the C programming language was created, but a little later, C ++ appeared from this tool, which is an augmented and improved version of C with an emphasis on object-oriented programming. As a result, many people who want to get into programming skip learning C and go straight to C++.
A huge advantage of these programming languages is the high portability of the code, since developers can use different compilers. In addition, these tools are famous for their high performance, which is often the key when choosing a programming language for creating applications and software.
These languages are a little difficult to learn, but after learning them, you can easily master other languages, since C ++ will give you all the necessary programming knowledge. You just need to learn the various features of other languages and their syntax.
What Programming Language Choose for The Project
The choice of technologies for developing a digital product is always a long process that requires certain technical knowledge and an exact list of what needs to be implemented. This is extremely necessary, as you will have to analyze technologies and whether they can help you develop this or that functionality.
If you do not have sufficient technical knowledge, we recommend that you seek help from a development vendor. You must have a complete idea and a list of features to develop. Technical experts will be able to assess the scope of work and offer you the best set of technical tools in order to breathe life into your project.
Wrapping Things Up
So, let’s summarize. As you can see, the list is quite extensive and each technology can rightfully be called popular and in demand. Each programming language has its own scope (and some have more than one). This was the list for 2022, however, it’s worth keeping your ears open. Progress does not stand still and a new programming language may appear even tomorrow and shoot, gaining immense popularity.
However, these are just suggestions. Most importantly, you now have the necessary knowledge of popular programming languages for 2022 and are ready to choose the technology that is best suited to implement your idea.
Katherine Orekhova is a technical writer at Cleveroad – a web development company. She is keen on technology and innovations. Her passion is to tell people about the latest tech trends in the world of IT.