The 5 Best Programming Languages to Learn in 2019

A programming language is a vocabulary and set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer or computing device to perform specific tasks. The termprogramming language usually refers to high-levellanguages, such as BASIC, C, C++, COBOL, Java, FORTRAN, Ada, and Pascal.

If you’re new to the field of software development, the toughest part of learning programming is deciding where to begin. There are hundreds of programming languages in widespread use, each with its own complexities and idiosyncrasies.

The good news is that as you begin your journey as a software developer, you’ll start to discover which programming language will be most suitable for you, your interests and career goals.

Just as English is the international language of business and French is the language of love, different programming languages are better suited for different purposes. Before picking the right language, you’ll have to answer questions like:

• What kind of projects do you want to work on?
• Do you have a background in mathematics and logic that might help you learn?
• Do you want to learn a higher-level language that is a bit more flexible and has certain concepts abstracted away, or do you feel comfortable focusing on a lower-level language that has less abstraction and is "close to the hardware"?
• If you’re interested in web development, do you prefer to work on the front end or back end?
• Do you want to go freelance, get hired by an established company or work with a startup? Or, are you just trying to be more efficient at your current job?

In the list below, we go over the best and most in-demand programming languages for many of the most common use cases including web development, mobile development, game development and more. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear picture of which programming languages can help boost your career this year and beyond.

1. Python

Python is perhaps the most user-friendly programming language of any on this list. It’s often said that Python’s syntax is clear, intuitive and almost English-like, which, like Java, makes it a popular choice for beginners.

Also like Java, Python has a variety of applications that make it a versatile, powerful option when choosing the best programming language for your use case. If you’re interested in back-end web development, for example, then the open-source Django framework, written in Python, is popular, easy to learn and feature-rich. Django has been used in the development of some popular sites like Mozilla, Instagram and Spotify.

Python also has packages such as NumPy and SciPy that are commonly used in the fields of scientific computing, mathematics and engineering. Other Python libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn and OpenCV are used to build programs in data science, machine learning, image processing and computer vision. Python's science and data applications make it a great choice for the academically inclined.

2. JavaScript

It’s impossible to be a software developer these days without using JavaScript in some way. According to Stack Overflow's 2018 Developer Survey, JavaScript is the most popular language among developers for the sixth year in a row. Nearly 70 percent of survey respondents reported that they had used JavaScript in the past year. 

Along with HTML and CSS, JavaScript is essential to front-end web development. A majority of the web’s most popular sites, from Facebook and Twitter to Gmail and YouTube, rely on JavaScript to create interactive web pages and dynamically display content to users.

In addition to “pure” JavaScript, there are also a number of libraries and frameworks intended to make JavaScript development easier. Some of the most popular frameworks include Angular, React, Vue, Ember, and jQuery. Professional JavaScript developers will likely need experience with one or more of these.

Although JavaScript is primarily a front-end language run on the browser, it can also be used on the server-side through Node.js to build scalable network applications. Node.js is compatible with Linux, SunOS, Mac OS X, and Windows.

Because JavaScript has a forgiving, flexible syntax and works across all major browsers, it is one of the friendliest programming languages for beginners.

3. Swift

If you’re interested in Apple products and mobile app development, Swift is a good place to start. First announced by Apple in 2014, Swift is a relatively new programming language used to develop iOS and macOS applications. According to Github's State of the Octoverse Report, Swift has grown rapidly, now ranking as the 13th most popular language by pull request.

Developers use Swift to build powerful, high-performance, native iOS, macOS and Linux apps. Swift is intended to be a faster, more streamlined and easier to debug than its predecessor Objective-C. Once the go-to for iOS development, Objective-C is now considered clunky and dated by many developers. In contrast, Swift has been optimized for performance and built from the ground up to match the realities of modern iOS development.

Developing Swift programming skills is a wise investment for aspiring software engineers. Not only does iOS run on every iPhone and iPad, it’s also the basis for other operating systems such as watchOS (for Apple Watches) and tvOS (for Apple TVs). In addition, Apple isn't going anywhere as tech industry leader and iOS apps continue to be the most profitable in the mobile app marketplace.

4. Java

Java, a general-purpose language, has been a mainstay in the world of computer programming for more than 20 years. The key to its popularity has been its “write once, run anywhere” philosophy. Theoretically, you can write Java software on any device, compile it into low-level machine code, and then execute it on any platform that’s equipped with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This means Java is highly cross-platform compatible.

Java is also the basis for the Android operating system and the most common language for developing Android apps. The language is favored by enterprises too, with roughly 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies using Java for building applications and back end systems. To top it off, the Apache Hadoop data processing system is written in Java and is run by Amazon Web Services and Windows Azure.

Thanks to its versatility and ubiquity, Java is a common language for beginners to learn, and it’s used in many introductory programming courses.

With so many different use cases, Java is a sure bet for programmers looking for a flexible, modular language with entrenched business applications, and therefore job prospects.

5. C/C++

C is an old-school programming language that’s still alive and well today. First introduced in the 1970s, C has had a powerful influence on the computer programming landscape, despite its steep learning curve.

There are dozens of languages in the C family that have been either derived from C or heavily influenced by its syntax, constructs and paradigms. These include several languages mentioned in this article, including Java, Objective-C and C#.

Because it allows you to get so close to the computer’s inner workings, C remains a popular choice for building specialized high-performance applications. C is the basis for the Linux operating system and is frequently used for programming embedded systems.

One of the most direct successors of C is the C++ programming language. C++ builds on C, which gives it many of the same advantages, but C++ is an object-oriented language and therefore is a better option when developing higher-level applications. C++ is a particularly popular choice for computer graphics, video games and virtual reality.