If you want to future proof your IT career, having a solid grasp of the top programming languages is essential. Yes, we mean more than one.
While languages seem to spike in popularity, others have sustained the test of time. Here’s our list of the top programming languages to watch out for in 2021.
Python
Python touted as the most favorite programming language for developers in 2021. Its popularity stems from its ease for beginners to learn because of its readability. Machine learning and deep learning applications are common uses for this free, open-source programming language.
Python is used by popular websites like YouTube, Quora, Pinterest, and Instagram.
If you’re new to Python, start your learning journey by heading over to python.org, which offers a beginner’s guide. Also, Microsoft has a video series, “Python for Beginners,” with dozens of short, Python-related lessons.
JavaScript
Java is a more complex language to learn, but experienced developers with Java coding skills are in high demand. With its object-oriented structure, this general-purpose programming language has become a standard for applications that can be used regardless of platform (e.g., Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, etc.) because of its Write Once, Run Anywhere (WORA) capabilities. As a result, Java is recognized for its portability across platforms, from mainframe data centers to smartphones. Today there are more than 3 billion devices running applications built with Java.
It’s no surprise; JavaScript will continue to serve as the engine that powers the web well beyond 2021, primarily as new generations of students utilize it for websites’ scripted behavior.
Kotlin
Keep an eye on Kotlin. Built to be better than Java, and people who use this language are convinced. Big players like Google embrace its use for Andriod development.
Kotlin’s portability gives the language a considerable breadth; from mobile to server-side (via frameworks like Spring) to web frontends (via compilation JavaScript), Kotlin can operate in various environments.
Some companies using Kotlin include Coursera, Pinterest, PostMates, among many others.
Go
Developed by Google over a decade ago, Go is growing as the most popular aspiration language to learn.
Go is no surprise; its simplicity and ability to handle multicore and networked systems and massive codebases attract developers. Its also gaining in popularity among data scientists because of its agility and performance.
Companies using Go include Google, Uber, Twitch, and Dropbox.
TypeScript
TypeScript is an open-source language that builds on JavaScript by adding static type definitions.
TypeScript is easier to maintain than JavaScript due to its type of safety features and has become the go-to language for greenfield, scalable frontend applications.
In the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, some 67 percent of developers surveyed said that TypeScript was a programming language they loved, just ahead of Python, Kotlin, and Go. It could be a dark horse for a breakout in 2021.
