It is a hard job to predict the world's most popular programming languages over the next few years. Bold assumptions about the supremacy of a language will always not work out; then you have the languages that seem to come from nowhere to grab a large niche (often with a bit of a boost from a major tech company).
According to Andrew Carr, Head of Engineering at SquareFoot
The way of thinking about languages is not to think about what's new compared to 2020 in 2021 and which language 'will win,' but to think about what was true in 1999, is still true in 2020, and will remain true in 2030.
In other words, it's all about the long term, and your learning (and mastery) should be structured appropriately. "Instead of worrying about whether you're missing out by not using a new language, I would recommend deciding what's important and building your working culture around it," he adds. If you are an individual engineer and want to know how you can assist yourself, double down on the basics of how the languages you are currently working with interact with the underlying operating system or runtime.
So which languages for programming will continue to dominate in 2021? Here's what we think and what our data shows.
1. Python
Artur Yolchan, Senior Software Engineer and owner of the Coding Skills website, says: "Python is likely to be the most popular programming language for developers in 2021."
The increased use of Python in a specialized context has a lot to do with that, says Alex Yelenevych, CMO of CodeGym: "Python has proven itself in the development of artificial intelligence & machine learning systems. The language is pleasant and quite simple for beginners, so its popularity will only grow.”
Resources
If you’re totally new to Python, start your learning journey by heading over to Python.org, which offers a handy beginner’s guide. Microsoft has a video series, “Python for Beginners,” with dozens of short, Python-related lessons. There’s also a variety of Python tutorials and books (some of which will cost a monthly fee) that will teach you the nuances of the programming language (and don’t forget your IDEs).
2. Javascript
One of the Chief Analytics Officer at TIBCO Software doesn’t think the ultra-popular JavaScript is going anywhere, especially when it comes to dominating developers’ mindshare in 2021:
The maturation of JavaScript as a design and production environment was remarkable and will continue in 2021. If you're operating on the front end of JavaScript, React, Angular and vista.js applications and systems, Electron.js web apps, or Node.js backends, JavaScript is a ticket! You could also create machine learning with Tensorflow.js.
Indeed, it seems virtually certain that JavaScript will continue to serve as the engine that powers the web well beyond 2021, especially as new generations of students utilize it for websites’ scripted behavior. Millions of websites will still rely on third-party JavaScript libraries and frameworks.
Resources
If you’re totally new to Javascript, start your learning journey by heading over to Javascript.info, which offers a handy beginner’s guide. You can also checkout ReactJS suggested free courses as well as Paid courses.
3. Go
"Among working professionals, Go is by far the most common aspiration language to learn. 32% of professional developers want to master the language," says Sachin Gupta, CEO, and co-founder of HackerEarth. Yelenevich says the Go crops up with growing regularity, making it a language to watch out for in 2021.
It’s no surprise that Go is popular. It was a top paying tech skill in 2019 and has one of the best hourly rates for freelancers.
Resources
One of the best places to start is the official Go Tour website: https://tour.golang.org. This is an interactive tutorial that you can use to learn Go by running your own code snippets on the website itself.
Another interesting place to find good examples when you have already understood the basics of the language and want to start hacking is https://gobyexample.com.
There is a free online mini-book on how to get started on Go called The Go Bootcamp which you can find at http://www.golangbootcamp.com/book/.
4. Kotlin
Last but not least Kotlin came on our list due to several reasons, which means developers are watching this language closely, especially given how Google’s been encouraging its use for Android development. “Android programming is about Java and Kotlin.
“These two JVM languages will be trending.”
Kotlin has been the fastest growing language in the past two years with 2M+ devs and growing.
Kotlin is widely used for Android native app development. [Although] Android apps can be developed using Java 8, Kotlin is now the preferred language for most developers.
Let’s also not forget that Kotlin is a JVM-based language, and it supports all Java libraries. So, developing backend services using Kotlin also will be trending, as well.”
Resources
Documentation (❶ start here)
- Kotlinlang.org - official docs for the language!
- Develop Android Apps With Kotlin - Kotlin for Android dev.
Courses & Codelabs (❷ skill up)
- Google Android Codelabs
- Kotlin Bootcamp for Programmers - Udacity, 2020
- Developing Android Apps With Kotlin - Udacity, 2020
- Advanced Apps in Kotlin - Udacity, 2020
Which language you should start to Succeed in?
If we pick a dark horse for a language set for a real breakout in 2021, it's Javascript. Not only is it really loved, but it's still adding JavaScript features day by day. More to the point, if JavaScript is ever declining in terms of market share and attention, TypeScript is there to fill that void instantly.
Resources
- 5 favorite online resources to learn Go from scratch in 2020
- Kotlin: Learning Resources For Beginners
- Which Language Popular in 2021
- Highest Paying Language
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