For Techies Only: What is the Best Programming Language to Learn in 2013?

Site Point ^ | 01/25/2013 | By Craig Buckler

[SeekAndFind]

An interesting article caught my eye at jobstractor.com — the programming language trends review. The company analyzed more than 60,000 job vacancies during 2012 to produce a chart of the most sought-after technologies:

Language	Jobs
PHP	12,664
Java	12,558
Objective C	8,925
SQL	5,165
Android (Java)	4,981
Ruby	3,859
JavaScript	3,742
C#	3,549
C++	1,908
ActionScript	1,821
Python	1,649
C	1,087
ASP.NET	818

Despite developer complaints, demand for PHP and Java (server/Android) remains strong. You would also expect those jobs to require some SQL knowledge although that has a strong showing in its own right. ActionScript is a dying art so it’s rapidly falling off the chart.

[Nailbiter]

bflr

[dangus]

Every language is a tool. Decide what you like to create first, then learn which tool is best for that. But keep in mind that if you really want to master programming, learning the basic tools first (C, Java) can help you understand the intricacies of the more high-level tools. PHP has a gentle learning curve, but there’s a reason it’s not used in freshman programming courses; it’d be like learning to play pop songs on a synthesizer before learning to play classical music on a piano.

[Political Junkie Too]

Does this mean I can finally get rid of my JCL manual?

-PJ

[PieterCasparzen]

Ah, the language du jour, with a big side of buzzwords served over a huge pile of minutiae.

[Mr. Jeeves]

1) HTML/CSS/PHP/JavaScript.

2) SQL stored procedure development for SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL.

3) Python, Perl, or as similar cross-platform scripting language.

4) Java or C#.

As a working corporate developer, you need to master all four areas to rise above foreign competition.

[dangus]

Assembly language? Planning on adapting C to a new operating system?

[Azeem]

Objective C? Please.

Our most common language for mobile is JQuery Mobile with Phonegap. I’m still using Perl.

[MarDav]

just concatenate it with all the others...in some STEPLIB somewhere

[ConservativeInPA]

PDP 10 or 6502 anyone?

[dangus]

How true. The real question is do you pick JAVA or C for your data structures and algorithms courses. Once you learn one of those, you’ll pick up the others as you start following your interests. Client-side programming? Javascript. Server-side programming? PHP, Python or Ruby. Database interfacing? SQL for traditional databases, or MongoDB for high-volume databases with large amounts of data per record.

What’s more interesting is what’s NOT on the list, or dropping off like mad: Perl (dying, faced with competition from Python and Ruby; employers learned that Perl code meant no-one but the original programmer could work on a module), VB.NET and JAVA.NET (People who use .NET use C#.NET), ActiveScript (even if you use .NET, there’s no reason not to use JavaScript), FORTRAN and COBOL (anyone who uses them still has their employees from BEFORE the economic crash; no-one was dumb enough to lay the off.)

[Resolute Conservative]

C#, javascript, HTML5, T-Sql

Learn design patterns.

Learn MVVM AND MVC tier patterns.

[Wayne07]

I'd say it depends what area you want to go into.

Mobile: Java and Objective C

Games: C++ and Lua

Web: Javascript, Python, Ruby

Boring Corporate job that will get outsourced: C#/.net (kidding) :)

[tacticalogic]

When the alternative was C++ you could make some money cranking out VB 6 apps of good quality .

Powershell is killing VB.

[ecinkc]

I never would have guessed I’d be saying this, but keep your eye on Javascript. Thanks to the emergence of NodeJS, it’s looking like it’s not just for browsers/client-side anymore.

I’m mostly just a plain old Java guy, myself, but I’ve enjoyed dabbling to varying degrees with C++, C#, ActionScript, Php, Perl, Assembler and a few others.

[Fledermaus]

WATFIV!!! We need more Snoopy calendars.

[uncommonsense]

No COBOL? There’s probably over 100 billion lines of code out there. The telecom billing systems are 100 million + lines. There’s also a surprising amount of assembly. Equifax’s consumer credit reporting system is IBM assembly with CICS and HTML user interfaces.

[Intolerant in NJ]

FoxPro....

[quantim]

Thanks for lowering the average here, idiot.

Times are hard enough without infantile remarks.

[Scrambler Bob]

Keypunch ...

I still have a few blank cards if I dig around in the right box.

[ccmay]

Ha ha! I took FORTRAN in 1979 and remember the professor made us do one batch program on punch cards just for the hell of it. Like fraternity hazing, I think— I had mine, now you’ll get yours...