GitHub’s yearly publication, the Octoverse, is a valuable resource for assessing the state and anticipating the future of programming languages around the world. With the Octoverse, it is possible to obtain answers to important questions, ranging from the most widely-used software development language to the languages experiencing rising popularity, or even Java’s dwindling user base.
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Now, let us take a look at the most crucial lessons that the Octoverse has taught us.
Anticipated programming language advancements in 2022.
- JavaScript remains the undisputed leader of programming languages (source).
- Python has retained its spot as the runner-up, while Java managed to hold on to its third place in the language rankings. It’s noteworthy to recognize Java’s popularity among developers even after nearly thirty years of existence.
- Within a year, Typescript ascended from its previous rank of tenth to fourth in the language rankings, and it managed to maintain that position throughout 2023.
- Unfortunately, PHP has experienced a decline in popularity since it slipped to a lower rank in 2022. Having been third in the rankings at one point, it fell to sixth place in the previous year and has now slipped to seventh, with C++ surpassing it.
- Neither Ruby nor C, nor even Ruby’s forerunner, Shell, saw any changes in their rankings.
Java has yet to show its age! Why has Java maintained such widespread popularity as we enter 2023?
For close to thirty years, Java has been the preferred programming language of countless coders. However, what is it that has led to its widespread popularity and its continued prominence in the field? Let us delve deeper.
- Java is a free and open-source language that provides an abundance of online resources to developers.
- Java is highly regarded for its user-friendly interface which makes it an excellent choice for first-time coders. Additionally, those who have worked with C and C++ will discover the switch to Java to be a smooth transition.
- Java is a cross-platform language that adheres to the “Write Once, Run Anywhere” (WORA) principle. It enables Java code to be set up and operated on various systems, including Windows, Linux, Unix, and macOS.
- Java offers a vast collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) that are exceptionally adaptable and can facilitate various types of applications, including but not limited to XML processing and networking.
- With a history spanning three decades, Java has fostered one of the largest and most robust communities in the world.
- Java’s Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is equipped with several automation tools, editors, and debuggers. IDEs such as Netbeans, Eclipse, and IntelliJ are among the most widely used.
For further insight into the future of JavaScript, take a look at React, Elm, and TypeScript: 3 Hot New Features for JavaScript in 2023.
Which programming languages experienced the most growth in 2022?
- Hashicorp’s HCL configuration language witnessed an exceptional 56.1% surge in usage in 2022.
- In 2022, Rust experienced a 50% increase in usage compared to the previous year.
- Typescript and Lua saw a substantial growth of 37% and 34%, respectively.
- Other prominent languages, including Go, Shell, Makefile, C, Kotlin, and Python, have also experienced a growth of more than 20% this year.
The Octoverse conveys several other significant takeaways as well:
- Programming languages are frequently employed in application development. In 2022, Lua was extensively used for game development.
- Cloud-based applications and scripting were favoured by programmers who opted for faster languages such as Go.
- In 2022, developers widely used Kotlin, Dart, Flutter, and other languages for mobile app development.
That concludes our analysis of the most popular programming languages in 2022. To discover additional trends and insights pertaining to programming languages in 2023, please proceed with the reading.
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