New programming languages seem to emerge constantly in the tech industry. How do you prioritize the ones to learn without spending the rest of your life bouncing from one new language to the next? Regardless of what languages you’re currently coding in, these 7 languages below are must learn for any coder hoping to stay competitive in the job market.
Python - Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. It’s straightforward, intuitive syntax, coupled with other aspects like its dynamic typing, contribute to its popularity among not just beginners, but all programmers in general. Its vast offering of libraries has fueled its expansion into a never-ending list of domains: data science, machine learning, statistics and analytics, web development, game making, robotics, are all areas python thrives in. Some of the most popular frameworks (i.e: PyTorch for machine learning, Django for web development, Pygame for making video games) are built on top of Python. Python can be used standalone, or used alongside other languages by extending them with python bindings [include link to bindings page]. Put simply, Python is everywhere. Although it’s certainly not the speediest language, its advantages and pervasiveness wins it a top spot on this list.
Java - The stance on java seems to be polarized - there are those who love it, and those who avoid it at all costs. Regardless of what group you fall into, the fact is is that it’s in high demand and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. If you’re looking into a company that is building large-scale enterprise class applications, it’s highly likely their tech stack is java-based. Get familiar with Java, practice building a RESTful service with Spring, and you’re already well on your way to landing a back-end development role.
C# - A primary rival and competitor to Java, you’ll find this object-oriented language arise in a lot of the same use cases. If a company is producing enterprise applications and isn’t a java shop, there’s a very good chance C# is at the heart of its products. Created by Microsoft, C# was original officially supported by Windows only. Eventually it made its way over to linux and OSX via open source compilers like mono, and now is officially supported cross-platform by .NET core. Anything from little desktop apps to high powered web applications and APIs are written in C#. It will allow you to also break ground into some technologies that are predominantly java territory. Want to build mobile apps for Android, but don’t want anything to do with java? You could always use Xamarin with C# (although I personally wouldn’t recommend doing this based on experiences).
C - You might think its pointless to learn C unless you’re going to build an operating system or write firmware for embedded systems. Why bother with such an “old” technology? Although C is certainly a go-to in low level projects, you should still pick it up even if your plan is to stick with higher level languages. Coding in C will give you a newfound appreciation for the benefits that higher level and managed languages bring to the table. In languages like C# and Java, Garbage collection and memory management, for instance, are all handed in the background while you’re blissfully unaware of the work that is involved in those processes. As such, it’s easy for devs to take these features for granted. Just because you can safely ignore these processes doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to optimize your programs from a memory perspective, and coding in C will provide you with the skills to think in ways that will allow you to do exactly that.
Assembly (aka ASM) - When you’re making a function call in C — how are the arguments passed to the function? I don’t mean syntactically: spelling out the function name, followed by parentheses and the comma separated arguments, as is the common method in many languages, but I mean…. how are they actually passed? This is but one example of something so low level that you aren’t typically aware of it — even in C. Just like It’s hard to understand all the things that higher level and managed languages get you until you’ve programmed in C, it’s hard to realize the benefits you get with C until you’ve written in Assembly. Assembly is just about as low-level as you can get, second only to literally writing the machine code instructions yourself. Each architecture has its own assembly language. If you were going to assemble a program for Intel and AMD processors, you’d be writing either x86 or x64, (or both depending on if you’re assembling code for 32 or 64bit). Embedded devices (things like digital cameras, mobile phones, portable game systems) commonly run MIPS and ARM architectures, and so for those you’d be writing MIPS assembly and ARM assembly, respectively. All code, no matter how high level, will eventually result in the actual native machine code executing, so it makes a lot of sense to understand the language that boils down to machine code.
Javascript - Virtually every modern web page you encounter will have some degree of javascript running in the background. Besides being the backbone of front-end frameworks like Rect, it can be used for back-end development as well via runtimes such as node.js, PurpleJS, and RingoJS. It’s also arguably the easiest of this list to get started with. You don’t need much to get started with it — you can start coding client-side javascript right now with the default text editors and browsers that ship with your OS.
SQL - If you code professionally you’re going to come face to face with a SQL query at some point or another. Unless you’re planning on specifically becoming a SQL developer, you don’t need to master every minute detail and construct. However, every developer should be proficient in the basics: SELECT/INSERT/DELETE/CREATE TABLE statements, joins, views, etc. You should be fine with the basics when you’re a dev working in a codebase using and reading SQL in conjunction with the other primary project language(s).
By fostering a deep understanding of Python, C#, and Java, you’ve placed yourself in a high sought out position in the job market. Additionally, you’ll have a strong foundation of the OOP paradigm you can translate over to other object-oriented languages like C++ should you need or want to. Although learning lower level languages such as C and Assembly might not align with your immediate goals, they will give you a deeper understanding of the inner workings of software — instilling you with a mindset focused on efficiency and optimization. You’ll leverage this mindset to make wiser and more optimized design decisions, letting you stand out amongst peers who don’t have access to these experiences.
