The Top 10 Programming Languages (For Techies only)

Tech Impulsion ^ | Feb 2012 | Ajit Singh

[SeekAndFind]

The knowledge of a handful of programming languages could come to be a lifesaver to many a programmer, especially since most languages that were popular 10 years ago are not as viable as they are now.

But there are many developers who have earned their worth simply by knowing the right programming language at the right time, simply because they had solid skills that were profitable while the language was popular.

Here are some languages though, which stayed popular through the years, and prove to give young developers a jumpstart to their careers, and always are a bonus to add to any developer’s resume, as compiled by TIOBE software, a coding standards company.

1. Java

What is it?
 An object-oriented programming language developed in the late 1990s by James Gosling and colleagues at Sun Microsystems.

Why is it important?
This “beautiful” programming language is central for any non-Microsoft developer, i.e. any developer who focuses on the non-.NET experience. It is mostly derived from C and C++ but has a more basic object model. It ranked first on TIOBE’s list of most popular programming languages.

2. C

What is it?
C, a general purpose programming language built by Dennis Ritchie when he was a part of Bell Telephone labs, is the bass of C++ and other programming languages. It was built to work with the Unix operating system.

Why is it important?
C is one of the most widely used programming languages of all time, and ranked second on the list. “Learning C is crucial. Once you learn C, making the jump to Java or C# is fairly easy, because a lot of the syntax is common. Also, a lot of C syntax is used in scripting languages,” Wayne Duqaine, director of Software Development at Grandview Systems, of Sebastopol, Calif., told eWEEK.
 

3. C#

What is it?
This general-purpose programming language developed by Microsoft evolved from C and C++ as a part of the software company’s .NET initiative.

Why is it important?
This language is an essential part of the .NET framework, so developers who use Microsoft heavily will find it critical, according to Duqaine.

4. C++

What is it?
C++ is a general purpose multi-paradigm spanning compiled language that has both high-level and low-level languages’ features. It was started as an enhancement to the C programming language, Bjarne Stroustrup in 1979.

Why is it important?
It is one of the most popular programming languages, winning fourth place on the list, with application domains including systems software, application software, server and client applications, and entertainment software such as video games.  The language has also greatly influenced many other popular programming languages, such as C# and Java.

5. Objective-C
 

What is it?
This object-oriented programming language created first by Brad Cox and Tom Love at their company Stepstone in the early 1980s, adds Smalltalk-like messaging to the C programming language.

Why is it important?
This language is most used on the Apple iOS and Mac OS X. Objective-C is the principal language used for Apple's Cocoa API as well.

6. PHP

What is it?
This language is especially suited for Web development because of it easy embedding into HTML pages. It is an open-source, server-side, cross-platform, interpretive HTML scripting language

Why is it important?
It is a popular language, ranking sixth on TIOBE’s list. "High-speed scripting with caching, augmented with compiled code plug-ins (such as can be done with Perl and PHP) is where the future is. Building Web apps from scratch using C or COBOL is going the way of the dinosaur," said Duquaine, according to eWEEK’s report.

7. (Visual) Basic

What is it?
This is an event-driven programming language which is implemented on Microsoft’s .Net framework.

Why is it important?
This language ranked as the seventh most popular language on TIOBE’s list, probably because it was designed by Microsoft to be easy to learn and use. According to Tim Huckaby, CEO of San Diego-based software engineering company CEO Interknowlogy.com, “It is currently dominating in adoption and that is where all the work is,” as in eWEEK’s report.

 8. Python

What is it?
This is an event-driven programming language which is extensively used by Google because of its simplicity. It is managed by the Python Software Foundation.

Why is it important?
Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to combine "remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive.

It is releases on 4 September 2011, 6 months ago.It is developed by Python Software Foundation.

9. Perl

What is it?
Being a high-level programming language, its emphasis lies in code readability and clear syntax. It combines Object-oriented and functional programming styles, and is often used as a scripting language. Perl is an open-source language used widely to process text through CGI programs.


Why is it important?
Perl’s efficiency in processing of piles of text has ranked it ninth in terms of programming language popularity. It is used extensively to write Web server programs for a variety of tasks. “Learning some form of scripting language, such as Perl or PHP is critical if you are doing Web apps," told Wayne Duqaine, director of Software Development at Grandview Systems, of Sebastopol, Calif., in a talk with eWEEK.

10. JavaScript

What is it?
JavaScript is an object-oriented scripting language that is smaller than Java. Being a client-side language, it runs in the web browser on the client-side with a simplified set of commands, easier code and no need for compilation.

Why is it important?
JavaScript is simple to learn and is the tenth most widely used programming language. It is used in millions of web pages to authenticate forms, detect browsers and improve design, and it is easier to run these functions as it is embedded into HTML.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Evidently nobody uses databases anymore.

/s

[Delta Dawn]

I’ve outlived all my Girlfriends and Languages, how unfortunate........

It’s good to know that you understood at least one of those. :)

[Delta Dawn]

Craigslist is for Cartagena escorts looking to diversify.

[KosmicKitty]

What?? no LISP!!

[central_va]

C++ is wicked.

[central_va]

The Java would be on the server side so you will not see it.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Evidently nobody uses databases anymore.

Hmmm... wonder why SQL is not considered a programming language. Maybe they make a differentiation between programming and querying...

But whatever language one program’s in, Java, C# or whatever, it’s very hard to avoid interfacing with SQL.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: This is a silly thread.

We can’t be serious all the time. Why not have some fun once in a while?

[Cringing Negativism Network]

How about a top 10 silliest threads of all time thread?...

[LuvFreeRepublic]

Yes, Fortran and COBOL, but also add Pascal that was ‘tough’ way back when.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: If you know how to code, you’re going to pick up enough of any compiled or interpreted language to become productive in it pretty quickly.

___________________

I can appreciate the sentiment. However, if a company is heavily using a language in its applications ( e.g. C# ), or tools like Visual Studio, no matter how good a programmer you are in another language ( e.g. PASCAL or ADA), they are not going to consider you at all.

They want somebody who can do the job NOW. There is no time for on the job learning at all.

One of our best software developers in C#, ASP.NET and SQL Server just left the company. I just received 5 resumes from Tech recruiting firms to replace him... all of them have the same experience and skillsets.

And get this -— ALL of them have INDIAN names. Go figure.

[reg45]

I went from FORTRAN to

BASIC to

COBOL to

BAL to

Turbo Pascal (and DR Pascal) to

C to

Visual BASIC to

C#.

[Carriage Hill]

All were a b*tch, weren’t they?

[jimfree]

Ada had been big for banking applications fairly recently. I don’t know about currently. Ada was designed to enforce strict programming discipline and promote reliability. That’s something you want in mission critical systems in DoD and certainly it’s welcome in the financial world.

[Larry Lucido]

is the bass of C++

Is that bass like the fish, or bass like the guitar?

[LuvFreeRepublic]

I don't remember what order, but I think it was COBOL, Basic, Fortran, Pascal, Assembly Language, then Basic Plus 2. The only one that gave me heart burn was Assembly Lang. Didn't stay programming for very long after I graduated college. I think it would have been interesting to dabble in some of the other languages.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

You’re pretty much locked into Subjective C for Mac development.

Any .Net developer would dual develop if MS ported Studio to the Mac.

[LuvFreeRepublic]

lol, I am not sure I would agree that they were a ‘b*tch’. My brain seemed well suited for programming. I am very logical and analytical so perhaps that gave me an edge. I will admit that Assembly Language was tough for me though. If I can recall, dealing with binary crap didn't come easy for me. Gosh that was all so long ago and now I have a heck of a time pretending to be smarter than my smart phone. This thread is bringing back some memories for me.

[CrouchingTiger620]

i love c# and vb but hate java......i’ll bet more business transactions run thru RPG and Cobol than all those other languages combined

[SeekAndFind]

RE: i love c# and vb but hate java.

Wonder why you would love C# and hate Java when both are quite similar in syntax...