The 21st century is experiencing a digital transformation that has put the whole world at our fingertips.
While multilinguals have the upper hand in the spoken word; competency in a wide range of programming languages is now proving to be just as much benefit to those adept in computer programming.
As a programmer, you might have centred your career around either your favourite, or the most fitting programming language to meet your goals. To create more opportunity for yourself as a programmer, however, learning more than one programming language is a must.
Here are the top 16 programming languages that are in highest demand, how many can you tick off your list?
1) C
C was developed between 1969 and 1973 and is the oldest programming language in existence. C has certainly withstood the test of time and is now one of the most common programming languages in use today.
C is modern, powerful, and varied. Download your basic guide to becoming a C programmer here, it’s an essential language for you to understand as a programmer due to its popularity.
2) Python
Python is the programming language recommended for beginners. While it’s still considered a high-level language, Python is one of the easier languages to learn and is a great foundation for a computer programmer to buld their career.
3) JavaScript
JavaScript is an essential programming language for anyone who wants to write the front end of websites. With a core focus on developing web apps and the user experience, the language is used to add behaviours to a web page which promotes interaction with users.
4) Visual Basic and Visual Basic.Net
Developed by Microsoft, Visual Basic and Visual Basic.Net are both all-rounders for a programmer. Visual Basic is used to design code written in BASIC. Relatively easy to learn, Visual Basic is another language that’s recommended for beginner programmers. Microsoft hasn't supported the language since 2008 but it’s still widely used among programmers.
5) R
R. is the most popular programming language used by statisticians to develop software for statistical and data evaluation and analysis.
6) PHP
PHP is the programming language that splits the opinion of programmers in half, either you love it or hate it. PHP is commonly used by Wordpress and Facebook so it’s useful for all programmers to have an understanding of the general-purpose language that’s commonly run on a web server.
7) Ruby and Ruby on Rails
Ruby and it’s additional platform, Ruby on Rails are open source programming languages used to build web apps. Relatively simple to use, Ruby claims that its syntax is “natural to read, and easy to write”.
8) Go
Go is an open source language which was developed by Google over ten years ago. Its popularity is gaining momentum due to its reliability, simplicity, and efficiency to create systems needed to support their own web presence.
9) Objective-C
Objective-C was built from the foundations of C and added its own personalised twist. It’s a general-purpose programming language that is the predominant language used by Apple for the iOS and OS X operating systems.
10) Perl
Perl is a high-level programming language that’s commonly used for network programming and sysadmin. While it’s noted that it’s not the most attractive of languages, it’s both strong and adaptable making it popular among today’s programmers.
11) Groovy
Groovy is the programming language of choice by developers of IBM and Google. Groovy has a straightforward syntax and a focus on enhancing productivity for the developer. It’s similar to Python and Ruby and is a popular language for the Java platform.
12) Swift
Swift was developed by Apple and is the number one player in the game for app development for Apple devices. It’s a general-purpose language which is more flexible than its predecessor, Objective-C code. Swift is a fun language to write with, it’s easy-to-learn for new programmers and its popularity will continue to grow along with smart TVs and smart watches where it’s frequently used nowadays.
13) Pascal
Pascal was initially designed as a language to teach algorithm among engineers and scientists. It has a key focus on simplicity and is a general-purpose language designed to foster structured programming practices.
14) Delphi - Object Pascal
Delphi - Object Pascal is an alternative to Microsoft’s Visual Basic language which doubles as an object orientated programming language and an IDE (integrated development environment). It’s a good quality, easy-to-learn language that has managed to withstand the test of time and commonly used in building smartphone apps, there’s no signs of it going anywhere soon!
15) MATLAB
With a primary purpose to develop calculations and to assist with data acquisition, MATLAB is commonly used in the engineering and science field. MATLAB stands for Matrix Laboratory and is a must for all engineers with an interest in numerical computing.
16) Assembly language
While Assembly Language isn’t the most popular language, there’s a great demand for programmers who know the language because its basic functionality performs at a high level. It works across a multitude of devices, it’s flexible and it can directly manipulate hardware.
With a wide range of programming languages serving a multitude of purposes, learning multiple programming languages will enhance your career opportunities AND increase the demand for you and your multilingual skills!
Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below!
