Programming is one of the most valuable skills in the professional market nowadays, and that trend will continue for years to come. New generations are being taught how to code in school, and ICT is one of the most on-demand job fields.
The largest tech companies in the world depend on teams of developers who are fluent in several programming languages, and every website you have ever visited has a code framework behind it. Naturally, knowing how to program is a very coveted skill, and the more languages you know, the more opportunities you’ll have.
These same tech giants, startups, and even most IT departments in every single industry require someone who knows coding. Based on job postings, GitHub projects, and StackOverflow surveys, here is an updated list of the most sought-after programming languages in 2017.
1. SQL
SQL (Structured Query Language) is a procedural language that is highly on demand because it allows developers to manipulate databases and build communication frameworks between them and other platforms.
It is fairly common but not very fun to learn or use, according to coders, who ranked it well below some other popular languages in terms of preference. In spite of this, market demand has made it soar in popularity in recent years, occupying the first spot in listings on the Indeed job search engine and surging in GitHub.
2. Java
Java has been around for quite some time, and it has grown to become an essential part of the web. Its simplicity and versatility have seen it rank at the top of the most needed and most used programming languages year after year.
According to GitHub’s Popularity of Programming Language Index, Java is the most popular coding language in the world, and it is used on everything from desktop applications to full-blown mobile operating systems like Android thanks to its easy integration with powerful extensions.
3. JavaScript
JavaScript is also quite popular among web developers for its easy-to-use nature and wide-ranging support across the internet. Browsers rely largely on the dynamic scripting language to exist, and developers have named it “the language of the web.”
A 2016 StackOverflow survey showed that JavaScript was the most used language worldwide, and coding projects using it can result in websites, games, web applications and more. The server-oriented language Node.js also derives from JavaScript.
4. Python
Python has slowly but steadily earned a place in developers’ hearts for being a general-purpose language that is simple, readable, and ever-expanding. It can be used to build desktop tools, automate tasks, and mine data.
It has been used in websites, services, and frameworks by industry leaders like Yahoo, NASA, and Google, and it continues to grow in popularity and demand due to Android’s rise in the mobile market and its compatibility to build applications.
5. C++
The ever-reliable C++ is a language built on the foundations of C, which in itself is one of the main pillars of programming. It is general purpose-oriented, and more of a pain to learn and use than simple and dynamic languages like Python and JavaScript.
However, it remains a desirable language to master due to its extensive applications, which range from building desktop tools to game engines and web projects. Windows itself is mostly written in C++ and it is still around.
Source: Coding Dojo