This article provides a comprehensive overview of popular programming languages and helps you to choose the best language to learn based on you interests, career goals, and level of experience. Learning a new programming language can provide you with valuable skills and knowledge that you can use to start (or advance) a career in software development.

To prepare yourself for the software development job market, you should have an understanding of the popular, useful, and emerging programming languages, and then make arrangements to learn them. If you are not sure where to start? Don’t worry; we’ve already done the hard work for you and prepared a list of programming languages you can learn in 2024.

The Most Poplar Programming Languages

1. JavaScript

JavaScript is a high-level programming language used for creating interactive web pages and web applications. It was developed by Brendan Eich at Netscape in 1995 and has since become one of the most popular programming languages in the world. It powers most of the websites on internet as client side scripting language.

It is the most popular programming language in the world and requires some other skills to properly implement it such as HTML and CSS to define the content and layout of web pages.

JavaScript is mainly used for client-side scripting in Web development, Web frameworks, Mobile development, Server-side scripting and Internet of Things (IoT).

2. C++ Programming Language

The C++ programming language is widely used in the software development industry. Some of its application domains include systems software, operating systems, device drivers, embedded software, high-performance server and client applications, and entertainment software such as video games.

The C++ programming language was designed and implemented by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1985 (First edition). Stroustrup was born in Aarhus Denmark in 1950. He did his Ph. D. in computer science in 1979 from Cambridge University, England. He is the College of Engineering Chair in Computer Science Professor at Texas A&M University.

C++ is used for Game Development, High Performing Computing, Computer Graphics and in Financial Systems.

4. Java Programming Language

The Java programming language is based on the syntax of C and C++ but has a simpler object model. Though it provides very little lower level functionality. Java is a modern, object-oriented language based on open, public standards.  Java was originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems’ Java platform.

James A. Gosling designed and developed java programming language in 1991. He did the original design of Java and implemented its original compiler and virtual machine. For this achievement he was elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering.

Java is mainly used to develop Enterprise Applications, Web and Mobile Applications, Cloud Computing and Big Data.

5. Python Programming Language

The Python Programming Language is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics. It is designed with the aim to increase programmer’s productivity and ease in use. Python provides multiple programming paradigms and provides easy extensibility.

The Python was designed and developed by Guido van Rossum who is a Dutch computer programmer.

6. R Programming Language

R is a programming languages for statistical computation, quantitative analysis and graphics. It compiles/runs on a wide variety of UNIX platforms, Windows and MacOS. R was initially designed by Ross Ihaka and Robert Gentleman and developed by R Core Team.

R is a free and integrated software development environment which facilities for data manipulation, calculation and graphical display. It is not an environment within which statistical techniques are implemented but it can be easily extended further via packages.

Mainly R is used for statistical Computing and Data Analysis, Research, Data Science and developing Machine learning models and algorithms.

7. Swift Programming Language

Swift is an open source, general purpose, multi-paradigm and intuitive programming language for macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS etc. It is designed by Chris Lattner, Doug Gregor, John McCall, Ted Kremenek, Joe Groff, and Apple Inc. Initially it was described as “Objective-C without the C”.

It is an alternative to Objective-C with modern theory concepts. It is a safe programming language and does not expose pointers, accessors and introduced namespace system and named parameters.

Swift is mainly used to develop applications for Server Side, iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS app development.

8. Go Programming Language

Go is a general purpose, open source and statically typed programming language developed at Google. It was designed by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson. It is sometime referred as “Golang”.

It is mainly influenced by C with emphasis on simplicity and safety. It was designed to keep useful features from other programming languages such as static-typing and run-time efficiency (C++), readability and usability (Python or JavaScript) and high-performance networking and multiprocessing.

Golang is used for System-level programming, Network applications, Cloud-native applications, DevOps automation and Data processing.

9. C# Programming Language

C# Programming language is the choice for .NET Framework. The syntax of C# is similar to Java Programming language. Anders Hejlsberg, a lead architect at Microsoft, designed C# in 2000.

It is a general purpose and modern object oriented programming language. It is a type safe and component-oriented programming language. Some of the unique features of C# are nullable types, LINQ and Lambda Expressions.

C# is generally used to develop Windows desktop applications, Windows services, Web applications, Mobile applications and Game Development.

10. PHP Internet Programming Language

PHP is the most widely used server-side scripting language. People use PHP to develop dynamic and data driven websites and web applications. It is an open source programming language developed by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994.

As of June 2021, PHP powers more than 79% of the websites  as per w3tehs. A content management system WordPress, written in PHP, powers more than 42% of the websites on the internet.

PHP is mainly used for Web Development, Server-side scripting, Command-line scripting and developing Content Management Systems.

11. Pascal Programming Language

The Pascal programming language was originally designed and implemented to teach students structured programming.  Pascal is a high level programming language mainly used for Apple Lisa and Macintosh. Pascal has successors, Modula and Oberon, which add module and access to system resources.

The language was designed in 1970 by Nicklaus Wirth to impose programmers a structured programming style. Niklaus Emil Wirth was born in 1934 in Switzerland.  He did his degree in Electronics Engineering in 1959 and in 1963 he was awarded a Ph.D.in EECS from the University of California.

Pascal is generally used for Education, Scientific Computing, System Programming and Database programming.

12. Perl Programming Language

The Perl Programming Language is a stable, cross platform programming language. Perl is a great language for processing text and automating tasks.It is used for mission critical projects in the public and private sectors and is widely used to program web applications of all needs. Larry Wall designed and developed Perl programming language in 1987.

Perl is best used for Text processing, Bioinformatics, Automation and scripting, System administration and web development.

13. C Programming Language

The C programming language is a computer programming language originally developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories to implement the UNIX operating system. Some of its application domains include device drivers, hardware interfacing and embedded system development.

Dennis MacAlistair Ritchie was born September 9, 1941. Dennis is an American computer scientist notable for his influence on C and other programming languages, and on operating systems such as Multicast and UNIX. He received the Turing Award in 1983 and the National Medal of Technology in 1998.

C programming language is mainly used in hardware interfaces, Device Drivers, Robotics, Audio and Video Processing and Network Applications.

14. Basic Programming Language

The Basic Programming Language (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a very powerful language as a tool for the novice programmers. Some of its main features include easy learning for new programmers, designed for interactive use rather than batch work and is therefore suitable for both the professional and non-professional.

The programming language was invented in 1964 by Kemeny and Kurtz. John George Kemeny was born in Hungary on May 31, 1926, and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1940. Thomas Eugene Kurtz was born in 1928) is an American computer scientist.

Usage of Basic in professional and commercial applications has declined over time in favor of other programming languages.

15. COBOL Programming Language

The COBOL Programming Language (Common Business Oriented Language) is one of the oldest programming languages still in active use. The application domains include business applications, finance, and administrative systems for large corporate, companies and governments.

COBOL language is the philosophy of Grace Hopper, William Selden, Gertrude Tierney, Howard Bromberg, Howard Discount, Vernon Reeves, Jean E. Sammet.

COBOL has been used in Financial systems, Data and Batch processing, Government systems and maintenance of Legacy systems.

16. FORTRAN Programming Language

The FORTRAN Programming Languages (Formula Translation) was developed by a team of programmers at IBM led by John Backus and was first published in 1957. This is one of the oldest programming languages specifically designed for easy translation of mathematical and statistical formulas into code.

Application domains of FORTRAN include mathematics, scientific formulas translation, statistical and engineering related application development.

FORTRAN has been used in Scientific and engineering applications, Aerospace and defense, Computational chemistry and Financial analysis. While its usage has declined over time, FORTRAN remains an important language for many scientific and engineering applications.

17. Lisp Programming Language

The Lisp Programming Language (or LISP) is a general programming language specially designed for Artificial Intelligence applications. Application areas include Artificial Intelligence, Robots, Computer games, pattern recognition, defense systems and tree traversal.

John McCarthy developed the basic idea of Lisp programming language in 1956 at Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence. John McCarthy was born in 1927, did a B.S. in Mathematics in 1948, McCarthy initially continued his studies at Caltech. He received a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Princeton University in 1951.

Some of the main uses of Lisp include Artificial intelligence, Symbolic computing, Education, Prototyping and Game development. LISP still remains an important language for many artificial intelligence and symbolic computing applications.

Conclusion

The field of software development is constantly evolving, and it’s essential to keep up with the latest programming languages to stay competitive in the job market. The 17 programming languages discussed in this article, including Python, Java, C++, and JavaScript, are among the most popular and in-demand languages in 2024, offering a wide range of applications in areas such as web development, data science, mobile development, artificial intelligence, and game development, among others.

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to choosing the best programming language to learn, it’s essential to consider your interests, career goals, and the market demand for each language before making a decision. Fortunately, there are numerous resources available, including online courses, books, and tutorials, to help you learn any of these programming languages, regardless of your current level of experience.

Learning a new programming language is a valuable skill that can provide numerous career opportunities and problem-solving skills that is becoming increasingly important in today’s world. By learning one or more of these popular programming languages, you can position yourself for success in the rapidly growing and ever-changing field of internet and software development. If you are learning C++ and are looking for reliable C++ homework help, there are groups of C++ Programmers to assist you with C++ assignments and projects.