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Programming Language Trend 2022 bevopr

Top programming languages to learn in 2022

By Laurent Falise on September, 7 2021
Computer's screen displaying code - bevopr

Are you interested in a career in software development?

If you are ready to set some time aside to learn new programming languages, you want to ensure that you do not learn any outdated ones that are slowly being phased out.

You want to focus on those programming languages that are highly demanded and that are gaining the most popularity so you can make the most out of your career in software development.

Also, choosing those languages are general-purpose, making them a go-to language for teams trying to develop cross-platform applications.

In summary, a programming language is a set of commands, instructions, and other syntax used to create a software program. In layman's terms, computer programming is telling a computer to do certain things by giving it instructions.

Below are the top programming languages that will be most relevant in 2022 with their merits, demerits, and uses that you should acquaint yourself with.

 

1.    JavaScript

JavaScript is the most popular programming language used around the world. While it has been around for several years, it will not be written off because of its usefulness and ubiquitous nature.

Merits

  • It requires no prior coding experience.
  • You can start practicing it almost as soon as you start learning it.
  • It is swift because you can run it instantly with the client-side browser.
  • It is a simple programming language to learn.
  • It is very popular. This increases its usability and application.
  • It works and blends well with other programming languages and a wide variety of applications.
  • Easy to maintain.

Demerits

  • At times, JavaScript can be interpreted differently by different browsers making it challenging to write cross-browser code.
  • JavaScript is easy to manipulate for malicious intent, making it a security threat; for example, someone can use the source code without authentication.
  • Lack of a debugging facility. Although a few editors support debugging, they are not very efficient.
  • A code error can stop the performance of the complete JavaScript code on the website. It can even appear as though JavaScript was never there, to begin with.
  • JavaScript only supports single inheritance, and yet the ideal programming language should support multiple inheritances.

Uses

  • Web development
  • Game development
  • Mobile app development
  • Building web servers
  • Building server applications
  • Building smartwatch applications

2.    Python

This is the second- most-in-demand programming language presently. Over 50% of employers require developers with advanced knowledge of Python. It is a general-purpose and high-level programming language that facilitates structure-oriented, objected-oriented, and interactive coding.

Merits

  • It is straightforward. This makes it ideal for beginner coders.
  • It is time-saving. You do not need to spend a lot of time understanding the programming language or its syntax. Instead, you can focus on what you need it to do.
  • It is an interpreted language that makes debugging easier.
  • The programmer doesn’t have to stress about declaring variables and their data types.
  • It is portable. You only need to write it once, and you will be able to run it everywhere after that.
  • The library of Python is vast. This means you can quickly locate all the functions needed for your task.

Demerits

  • It takes up too much memory. This can create some obstacles if your goal is memory optimisation.
  • It has slow processing power.
  • Python’s database access layer is unsophisticated in comparison to other programming languages.
  • It is unsuitable for mobile development. This is because of its inefficient consumption of memory and its moderately slow processing speed.
  • It is unsuitable for low-level programming.
  • The programming language is dynamically typed. This means that it requires a lot more scrutinous testing and its errors only show up during runtime.
  •  

Uses

  • Al and machine learning
  • Data analytics
  • Data visualisation
  • Programming applications
  • Web development
  • Game development
  • Language development
  • Finance

3.    Kotlin

This is a general-purpose programming language. It was designed to be a user-oriented version of Java. However, it is interoperable with Java which makes it suitable for several applications. For example, it is popularly used to develop Android applications, and since Android is the highest-selling mobile operating system, Kotlin is a notable language to learn in 2022.

Merits

  • It is completely interoperable with Java. This means it would be much simpler to move over to Kotlin from Java or vice versa.
  • It is concise. Code conciseness is crucial because it means the programming language is easier to read, maintain, and smoothly affect any changes.
  • It is noteworthy that Kotlin has fewer instances of crashing and system failures. This makes it the more reliable option.
  • Unlike other programming languages, Kotlin detects errors at compile-time, not runtime.
  • It has better facilitation for functional programming.
  • It enhances your productivity. Instead of spending your time understanding the syntax and behaviour of this programming language, you can focus on finding solutions. This is because it is clear, so you spend less time writing new code in Kotlin.
  • It is relatively easy to maintain.

Demerits

  • There are still few Kotlin developers on the market. While it is fast gaining momentum in the software development market, the professionals in this field are pretty few. Unfortunately, this means finding someone with the comprehensive skill-set you require would be difficult and costly.
  • There are even fewer resources available on the market to learn Kotlin. There are scarce tools for learning this programming language and professionals who can teach and expound this knowledge to Kotlin enthusiasts.
  • Slow compilation speed.

Uses

 
  • Cross-platform web development
  • Server-side development
  • Web development
  • Game development
  • iOS app development
  • Android development
  • IoT app development

4.    Scala

Scala is a contemporary multi-paradigm programming language that was created to express common programming patterns, a succinct, neat, and type-safe manner. Moreover, it smoothly combines object-oriented and functional language characteristics.

Merits

  • Most developers recognize its syntax.
  • An easy-to-use and comprehensive IO library (none of the difficulties that Haskell imposes, for example)
  • The ability to learn in modest increments while still producing completed programs.

Demerits

  • Because Scala allows you to return to an object-oriented paradigm at any time, it does not compel you to think logically. 
  • Because it is a mix of functional and object-oriented, type information can be challenging to grasp at times.
  • It lacks objective tail-recursive optimization since it runs on the JVM.

Uses

 
  • Android Applications
  • Desktop Applications
  • Concurrency and Distributed Data Processing
  • Front and back ends of web applications with scala.js
  • Highly concurrent things, like messaging apps, with Akka
  • Scala is used with Hadoop: Map/Reduce programs
  • Big Data and data analysis with Apache Spark

5.    Go

Go is emotive, precise, tidy, and efficient. Its parallelism techniques make it simple to design programs that use multicore and interconnected devices, and its distinctive type system allows for versatile and modular program design. Go generates swiftly to executable code while also providing the benefits of garbage collection and the capability of runtime debugging. It's a quick, object-oriented, functional language.

Merits

  • It is fast.
  • As the name suggests, it is simple to use, and after a few hours of practising, you can have it set up and ready to use. Then, once you know its tricks, you're ready to code.
  • It is suitably built for today’s software engineer. Because Go can be compiled on almost any system, you may use it to create a whole web app or a utility to clean up incoming data before processing it.

Demerits

  • It leaves room for suspicious and malicious coding.
  • It is considered too simplistic for some software developers, yet they pride themselves on understanding complex programs.
  • Go's native library is well-designed, but it competes with languages like Java, which has an extensive collection of built-in code. So while Go may ultimately catch up to its contemporaries in terms of library support, it still has a long way to go.

Uses

 
  • Web development   
  • Command-line scripting  
  • Network server applications
  • Front-end development
  • Cloud service
  • On-demand service

6.    Rust

Rust is a modern systems programming language that prioritizes safety, speed, and scalability. It achieves these objectives by being memory efficient and without relying on garbage collection.

Rust is a multi-paradigm, statically-typed open-source programming language used to build operating systems, compilers, and other hardware to software tools.

Merits

  • It solves memory management problems.
  • It enables programmers to detect bugs early on, preventing future device malfunctions.
  • Rust is easy to learn.
  • Rust is also a robustly typed language, which ensures that it is more challenging to build erroneous programs in Rust.
  • It is a speedy programming language due to the absence of garbage collection.
  • It is easy to maintain.

Demerits

  • When it comes to compiling code, it's a bit slower than its peer languages.
  • Rust might be a little too strict at times. Therefore, your program will not begin until everything is in order.
  • It is not easy to learn. To learn it, one must be familiar with C++ or any object-oriented programming language.
  • Excellent documentation.
  • It is not user-friendly.

Uses

 
      • Game development
      • Website development
    • Operating systems
    • Browser components

According to a survey, these are some of the top 10 programming languages whose relevance and popularity continue to grow because of their usability and other unique features.

 

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