Pursuing a career in tech is one of the best decisions one can make right now. However, choosing a tech stack is a difficult choice. There are various programming languages to consider, but which is right for you?
I've seen tech brothers and sisters advise newcomers on where to start, but the issue is that they tend to ask them to start with HTML and CSS. Yes, these are wonderful and well-known computer languages (although there has been a historical debate about HTML and CSS not being programming languages, 👀). Nevertheless, you should consider a programming language that works for you.
The programming language you choose should be based on the type of software engineer you want to be. There are numerous programming languages to consider, ranging from "Python" for machine learning to "JavaScript" for frontend development.
In this blog post, I'll be considering 7 programming languages based on their popularity, uses, and adoption. I chose these languages based on their uses in these fields:
Web Development (Frontend, Backend)
Data Science & Machine Learning
Software Engineering & Development
Cloud Engineering
DevOps Engineering
Game Development
Mobile Development
Without further ado, I present to you:
7. C++
C++ is a powerful and complex programming language. It's used to build high-performance software such as operating systems, embedded systems, compilers, game engines, cloud and distributed systems, and more. Example of software systems built using C++ includes Windows and Apple operating system, Bloomberg cloud system, Unity and Unreal Engine, Mozilla Firefox etc.
C++ is also used to write computer games, with and without a game engine. If you're deeming to become a software engineer, DevOps engineer, or cloud engineer, or you want to build large-scale applications in the future, learn C++, as it is a system programming language.
6. SWIFT
Apple owns the popular iPhone, MacBook, iWatch, iPad, and AppleTV. These products run on their proprietary operating systems: iOS for the iPhone, macOS for the MacBook, iPadOS for the iPad, and WatchOS for the iWatch.
Apple created Swift to develop applications for its products. Swift is described as a powerful and intuitive programming language for Apple's products. Swift is safe by design and produces software that runs lightning-fast, according to Apple.
iPhone applications like WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Instagram, Firefox, WordPress, Uber, etc. were built using Swift.
As a developer, if you're deeming to develop applications for Apple's products, Swift is the language for you.
5. KOTLIN
As of last year (2022), Android still maintained its position as the most used mobile operating system (OS). Android developers design and develop apps that run on Android OS. They previously used Java to develop their apps. However, Google introduced Kotlin to the market. Google describes Kotlin as a better language for writing Android apps faster. According to Google, Kotlin is said to be adopted by 60% of Android developers, while also boosting productivity and maintaining code safety.
Applications like Slack, WhatsApp, Twitter, Airbnb, Pinterest, Adobe Reader, Netflix, Duolingo, etc. for Android were built using Kotlin.
If you're considering becoming an Android developer, I'll say Kotlin should be your go-to language. It was designed specifically for Android app development and is packed with features to help you build Android apps quickly.
4. PHP
PHP (a recursive acronym for "Hypertext Preprocessor") is a server-side scripting language widely used in web development. It was created in 1993 and released two years later. It's a powerful tool, and it's used to build scalable, dynamic, and interactive web applications.
PHP is said to be simple, fast, and reliable. It began as a small open-source project that grew in popularity as more people discovered its utility. PHP has been around for a long time, and it's still widely accepted to date.
Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook was created using PHP during its early days. As of 2023, PHP is used by Facebook, Wikipedia, Tumblr, Slack, WordPress, etc. PHP will still be around for a long time, in my opinion.
3. Java
Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. It was created around 1991 by James Gosling of Sun Microsystems, which was later acquired by Oracle.
Java is an object-oriented programming language, and it runs on billions of devices. Java's primary goal was to be able to "write once, run everywhere." It's used in embedded systems, Internet-of-Things applications, developing marketing tools, building and running mobile applications, scaling cloud applications, game developments, etc.
Java is used by big tech companies such as Spotify, Amazon, NASA, Google's Android, Netflix, Uber, etc. As a software engineer, Java will be one of your primary languages to consider.
Another language that's similar to Java is "C#." They both have similar characteristics, with the exception that C# appears to be limited to the .NET environment.
2. Python
Python is a general-purpose programming language. It's popular and widely accepted in the industry. It has an English-like syntax and is very simple. Python was invented in the late 1980s and released in 1991 (the same as Java).
Python can be used as a scripting language for web applications and also has popular frameworks that can be used to build and maintain scalable, large web applications. It is commonly used in artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning. Python can be used to create games and is also embedded in software systems such as Blender, Gimp, Maya, etc.
Python is used by Youtube, Instagram, Dropbox, Reddit, Spotify, etc and it has been used to build popular games such as battlefield, World of Tanks, Eve online, etc.
1. JavaScript
JavaScript is the most popular programming language in the world. It's primarily used in building front-end and back-end applications. It's used everywhere and widely accepted by every tech company you can think of.
JavaScript is widely supported and different from Java. JavaScript is used to add functionality to web applications and manipulate web pages. With the availability of WebGL, JavaScript can be used to create games.
JavaScript is the most used language for web development and has the most popular frameworks for building a web application, which includes React.js, Angular, Vue.js, Next.js, etc. You can also build desktop applications using the framework Electron.
JavaScript dominates the web, and you should also know that learning JavaScript will require you (not necessarily) to learn HTML and CSS.
It is best to choose your language based on its availability, community, simplicity, and personal preference. Here's where each language can be applied.
Python: Web development, machine learning, data science.
C++: Cloud infrastructure system, triple-A games, desktop applications, embedded systems.
Java: Web servers, IoTs applications, games, web applications, embedded systems.
Kotlin: Android OS applications.
Swift: IOS applications.
PHP: Web applications.
JavaScript: Frontend, backend, desktop applications, web servers.
There are many languages out there that you can learn. I picked these seven languages because of their accommodation in recent years. If you've already begun learning a new language that isn't listed here, please continue learning it.
Conclusion
Learning to code can be overwhelming; however, remember that programming languages are just tools. You can learn more than one programming language. You'll have to consider the best language to use to implement your solution.
When you've started learning a language, stick with it and make sure you're comfortable using it. The languages you learn are only for implementing solutions and ideas. Choose what works best for you.
Thanks for reading this article, 👍. Don’t forget to like, comment, and share if you find the article intriguing. Please drop your questions, opinions, or contributions to the topic in the comment section.
I'll be releasing another article on this topic: "Programming languages to learn in 2023." If you're interested, you can simply subscribe to my newsletter to get more articles from me.
Happy 😊 Learning 💪.