Top 5 Programming Languages Worth Learning in 2020

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(Newswire.net — October 16, 2019) — There are many different programming languages today that are used for a wide range of tasks. Each has its specialties as well as both strengths and weaknesses. To complicate matters further, many languages have their own sets of libraries, frameworks, and derivatives to choose from.

A Java development company may be able to create great standalone or desktop apps due to the language’s object-oriented nature. Meanwhile, Python may be the choice for server-side web development and JavaScript the go-to language to create web apps.

With that many choices, it’s not easy to find the right language to specialize in without knowing your future development needs. Thus, having proficiency in numerous languages can always help.

With that said, here are our five top picks for programming languages to learn and hopefully master come 2020:

  1. Java

Java’s roots go back to the mid-1990s when it was created by a Sun Microsystems employee named James Gosling. Java is a general-purpose and object-oriented language that works across multiple operating systems and devices – from computers to mobile and even Blu-ray Discs. It’s designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible.

You can download Java software free of charge to run Java apps in your browser and the Java SDK in order to start creating Java software yourself. The Java software comes with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), which consists of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), Java platform core classes, and supporting Java platform libraries. The neat thing about the JRE is that it allows Java developers to create ‘applets,’ which are small apps designed to run inside browsers using the JVM. 

Java is also closely tied to Android development. In fact, Java is really the only way to create native Android apps and if mobile development is your thing (and maybe it should) then you definitely will want to familiarize yourself with this language. 

  1. Python

Python is another general-purpose language that offers a lot of features. It shows no signs of waning and will be relevant in the future as it’s one of the most popular languages of all time. Some of the tasks this language excels in include cutting edge technologies like data science, back-end web development and artificial intelligence (AI). 

The nice thing about Python is that it’s newbie-friendly, with a soft learning curve that makes it easy for anyone to start coding with it. It’s also has a very flexible syntax and does a lot of heavy lifting for you. There is even an IDE called Pycharm available for Python that contains an advanced debugger along with automated code inspection and code completion. 

Python is a dynamically-typed language that is not too difficult to compile. The language’s flexibility combined with the wide range of tasks it can be useful for makes it a great language to learn for 2020 and beyond.

  1. JavaScript

JavaScript is a language that, like Java, has been around for a while and focuses on front-end web development. It excels in creating animations and interactivity in web apps and web pages. Things, like filling out forms or seeing moving images on a website, can usually be attributed to javaScript. 

JavaScript is an interpreted scripting language that does not have to be compiled prior to runtime. Thus, no interpreter is required making it easy to deploy JavaScript apps. JavaScript, HTML, and CSS are the three languages responsible for what we see in our browsers when we browse the web, but JavaScript is what makes sites truly stand out. 

As long as web pages and web apps remain, JavaScript will remain relevant. For anyone interested in web development, JavaScript is the language to learn. More and more companies are looking for ways to make their web presence standout and interactivity, as well as artistic flair, are things JavaScript can bring to the table. 

  1. PHP

Like JavaScript, PHP code can be embedded in HTML documents. Thus, it’s also tied to web development and has a syntax that’s easy to follow. But, unlike JavaScript, PHP focuses on the server or back-end web development. 

The code is executed on the server, which generates the HTML before sending it to the client. The client (the person visiting the website or web app) receives the code thereafter but does not see what the underlying code consists of, just its results. Thus, PHP is nice if you want your code to remain your own without everyone being able to read it. 

PHP is a scripting language that is not too difficult to learn. It will continue to remain relevant in the future as web servers are growing in scope and server-side scripting can benefit any web developer. 

  1. C/C++

C or C++ is a language that has its roots in the 1980s when the Internet was wildly different and things like assembly code or low-level machine programming were the norm. However, this doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its merits. C/C++ specializes in systemic programming and most of what you see in modern operating systems or file systems today has its origins in C/C++. 

This is an object-oriented language that is fast and light on system resources. Thus, it’s great for programming projects such as low-level operating system modules and game development. It’s a flexible language useful for various tasks and its ancient history has both benefits and weaknesses (such as a complex syntax). However, it’s definitely recommended to have in your repertoire come 2020. 

Conclusion

There is a wide range of languages worth learning. However, being specialized in a few is key to long-term success. Languages also sometimes morph over time or get updated with features and syntax changes, thus it’s difficult to follow them all. 

The five languages mentioned here all offer something unique and great that makes them worth mastering. They are also highly desired by development companies and will be well into 2020 and beyond.