So now you know what a software developer is and what they do. You also know that to develop your software you need a programming language, now the questions arises which one though?
There are times it seems like an impossible task to keep up with the changes in technology because of the super fast rate at which it is always changing. And due to this, the language that you choose to pursue must have future potential to still be in use, as well as maintaining a strong developer community. Otherwise the applications you develop will face maintenance and integration use. I feel as if nowadays developers have more resources to better aid them in making this decision compared to when I was entering the developer space which I guess is a good thing or just makes the whole process a lot more stressful. Either way your choice is important so you can know where to invest your time wisely.
Some of the key questions to consider when choosing a programming language for a project are listed below.
Does the programming language have a proper community ecosystem? Will it work over the long term and is it easily accessible on the market
What is the environment for the application you want to develop, is it web, mobile, cross-platform
Does the application need to have considerations like hardware needs or deployment needs
What do the clients you are targeting prefer
Depending on the application you wish to develop, things to consider can include if your application needs to be of high performance thus requiring that the language you choose accommodates this.
Now that you have asked yourself these questions, there is a bigger picture to consider. It is one thing to learn a programming language for the sake of a project, and another thing when choosing one that is in line with your career aspirations and goals. A language that will serve regardless of positions or organization. After learning React in order to develop an application for an organization I worked at I realized that I did not want to just focus on web application. Having noticed the rise in use of mobile applications in my country and understanding how more accessible these mobile apps were I decided to start learning Java to be able to develop mobile applications. Below I also list down factors to consider when making your choice.
Type of application
Programming languages such as Java, Python, and JavaScript and C # can build different types of applications on various platforms. However there are certain situations were specific languages work best. An example is, due to the high rise in mobile apps, choosing java for building a native Android app or a C and C++ combination for an embedded firmware (flash memory chip storing specialized software running in a chip embedded in a device to control its functions)
Complexity of Applications to develop
When you identify the size and complexity of the type of applications you wish to develop, this can lead you to the programming language that can best meet these needs. Languages such as Java or C# can be ideal for such applications which might include e-commerce websites, enterprise applications. While applications that are smaller in size and simpler marketing websites or content management systems (CMS) like WordPress would require minimal programming. And thus require the language to be used meet these needs too
Organization Culture
Like mentioned above, if you have ended up at an organization where its choice in programming languages rests on the organization culture and direction set by its management would influence the programming language you decide to go with.
Time to market
Applications that use new programming languages or those that are on trend tend to receive much more attention than those with older technologies. If you main goal is to develop applications that would do well in the markets then learning a programming language that is on trend would be best for you.
Maintainability
Making sure the programming language you choose to invest your time in has a support for their library ecosystem is key. This ensures that your codebase is also easily maintained due to the regular update releases that allow the programming language to stay current. Therefore making your applications to stay current.
Scalability, performance, and security
Programming languages such as Ruby on Rails (RoR), .NET, Java Spring, LAMP, and MEAN have great scalability. What is scalability you ask, this is the part of your applications that needs to cater for a growing number of users. So there are some languages that are better suited for this than others, so this is a criteria worth considering too.
Depending on the type of application you are developing, they are some that must follow security guidelines. For example a financial application or healthcare must follow particular security guidelines. Because of this the programming language that you choose to develop these type of applications with must also support this vital requirement.
Below are the top programming languages of 2024
I know I have flooded you with a lot of information in this article but I truly believe having all this information will help you make a better well informed decision on which path you want to follow. So take a deep breath and find what seems to fit your vision for what you want to build I believe in you. For more developer data you can visit https://www.slashdata.co/. Happy choosing.
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