The 10 Most In Demand Programming Languages of 2017
There are certain programming languages that always have and always will be around. But every so often some new kids on the block make waves in the tech industry. Whether they’ll stick around or not is anyone’s guess, but either way they always enjoy 15 minutes of fame. Tech companies list them as must have skills in every job spec, forum discussions and collaborative projects pop up, and articles like this one are written about them all around the web. Here are 10 of the most in-demand programming languages of 2017, including some brand new and some not-so-brand-new ones.
Go
There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Google’s programming language, Go, would revamp the landscape of coding. And it has certainly taken the fast track to mainstream popularity, rising from 65th to 16th place in just one year on the TIOBE language popularity index. Designed to take the best bits of other languages and fix the worst bits all in one easy to read and learn package, Go is statically typed, scalable, doesn’t require and IDE, and supports networking and multiprocessing. Definitely one to watch.
Rust
The brainchild of Mozilla, Rust was awarded the title of ‘Most Loved Programming Language of 2016’ in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, so it’s clearly got plenty of supporters. As you can probably guess, it’s main focus is safety and security, and it’s proving particularly useful for preserving large system integrity. There is talk of it becoming a stiff competitor to C++, and big tech companies are starting to take note.
Hack
Did you know Facebook created their own language? Hack is a language for the HHVM (HipHop Virtual Machine) and is a dialect of PHP. And despite only being introduced in 2014, it has been successfully holding up Facebook for several months now. You know, that website that billions of people use every single day. Not bad, right? It may be Facebook-specific for now, but this language is open source and there are already plenty of interesting uses for it.
JavaScript
A stalwart of the web, JavaScript is going nowhere as long as the internet continues to change and grow. Ever in demand, JS developers are some of the best paid in the tech world, and there’s a consistent stream of jobs up for grabs in any and every industry. A safe bet to go for if you want guaranteed employment anywhere in the developed world, for at least the next couple of years and beyond.
Python
Python is now ‘the’ first language for new coders to learn. Not only is it extremely easy to pick up, it’s also powerful AND versatile; the perfect combination! It has one other pretty big trick up its sleeve too; in 2016 it knocked Java off the top spot of most popular programming language. Yes, really. Extremely concise and simple, any problem has multiple solutions with Python. Get started now; you won’t regret it.
Ruby
A favourite of start-ups, Ruby is a great language for getting something built fast. A focus on simplicity and productivity makes it natural to read and easy to write, and it lends itself especially well to web applications. When combined with the Ruby on Rails framework, it’s a dream team for a wide array or programming tasks. Its increasing popularity in the software market means Ruby isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
SQL
Big data is big business nowadays, and SQL (Structured Query Language) is the ultimate (and pretty much the only) language for communicating with a database. It makes updating or retrieving data from the most complex of databases easy peasy. More and more companies – tech and non-tech – are realising the importance of data analysis, which SQL is set to be a highly coveted skill in the coming years.
Java
Where would we be without Java? It has been a cornerstone of coding for over two decades now, which is no easy feat in the world of computer programming. Simply put, it can do almost anything and is a primary skill to have for any developer job. The massive community, cross-platform capability, and sheer ubiquity of Java means it’s always in demand. It will take one heck of a revolution to knock this one off its pedestal.
Perl
Although some say its not very elegant, Perl is often called ‘the duct tape that holds the internet together’. Its uses range from graphics programming to system administration, network programming, bioinformatics and even finance. It tends to be divisive and its popularity is showing signs of dropping off, but Perl still has its fans in niche areas, and those niche areas can be very lucrative if you can get your foot in the door. Don’t discount it just yet.
PHP
PHP is a server side programming language used in web applications, and particularly common in e-commerce. The majority of websites use PHP and online retail is growing at a rapid rate, so there is always a consistent demand for this language. Oh, and did we mention it’s probably the most popular scripting language on the web? It’s a very useful tool to have on your belt, trust us.