Top Computer Languages for the Next Decade
If you had to learn a single computer language that would keep you busy and employed throughout the next decade, which one would you choose? A good place to turn is the Tiobe Index. Updated once a month, Tiobe ranks programming languages based on the number of hits each language receives on the most popular search engines.
When examining the Tiobe Index, it’s important not to just view the top languages, but to examine how long they’ve ranked at the top of the index and whether or not their rank appears stable. Based on recent information and trends, here are five language programs will that take us into the next decade:
Java: Java outranks all other computer language platforms in terms of developer use. With over 9 million Java developers in the world, there are thousands of Java applications to be maintained. Designed to be remarkably close in nature to C++, Java got rid of the complicated features that make C++ difficult to use. Java boasts an extensive collection of routines that can handle TCP/IP protocols, which makes networking easy. Most importantly, Java was built to be a dynamic language, adapting to an ever-evolving environment. With so many Java applications already in existence, plus the fact that Java is the language of the Android mobile operating system, Java is the safest bet in terms of longevity, range, and ease of use. Java continues to rank #1 on the Tiobe index.
PHP: PHP is a great language for small-business developers. LAMP, a standard web server development, stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. An amalgamation of C, Java, and Perl, PHP is fairly general-purpose, relaxed language capable of creating large, dynamic websites. It’s a perfect language platform for freelance developers. It currently ranks #5 on the Tiobe index.
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C/ C++: These two languages currently rank #3 and #4 on the Tiobe index, and although they are different languages, C++ was built as an extension of C. C++ is the software industry’s mainstay language. The programming language closely matches the language of most computers. C++ was written for developers busy creating challenging and realistic software programs. The language stands by design principles that state that its evolution is driven by real-world problems. C++ is a language prepared to move into the future.
Objective C: This past year, Objective-C made the leap from #10 to #6 on the Tiobe index. In June of 2009, it was ranked #46. Objective-C is the language used for Apple’s most popular products and applications, including the iPad, iPhone, and the iPod touch. Objective-C is another language based on C, but with multiple extensions. So long as Apple products stay in high demand, Objective-C is a great language to know and understand.
Lua: Lua has made the most considerable recent jump on the Tiobe index, and is seeing excellent activity in spots like GitHub and StackOverflow. More significantly, more and more jobs for Lua are becoming available. Lua is a language on the cusp of going mainstream. Designed to allow users to create customizable applications, Lua gives programmers a mechanism of fallbacks that allows them to broaden semantics in brand new ways. Lua is a picture of the program language of the future.
Citations: Sun.com, Att.com, Scribd.com, Devsource.com, Lua.org
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