Best Programming Languages for Web Development | Computerscience.org (2024)

What does a typical day for a web developer look like?

JavaScript

JavaScript is a common web development language for its simplicity, which develops use to dynamically create web pages. It is also one of the world's oldest coding languages.

In 1995, Brendan Eichs, an employee of Netscape Communications, developed JavaScript. He designed the language to complement Java, Netscape Navigator Sun's programming language. The two languages use similar syntax.

Originally, Netscape named its new language Mocha but quickly changed it to JavaScript. In 1996, Microsoft decided to compete with Netscape by using JavaScript inside its new Internet Explorer 3.

While there are many pros and cons of using JavaScript, it has become one of the most used coding languages today due to its help in streamlining the development process. Programmers can find various options for frameworks (like jQuery) that improve how they create animations and graphics and how they connect data models.

Python

A versatile, high-level programming language, Python is often seen as a more beginner-friendly alternative to Java or C++. Developed by Guido van Rossum and released in 1991, Python has quickly gained traction across industries due to its minimal syntax, readability, focus on natural language processing, and ability to handle object-oriented and functional programming.

Python is best suited for data analysis and manipulation, machine learning, designing desktop applications, server-side web development (where it is nearly synonymous with Django), and AI.

SQL

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It was originally invented in the 1970s and is the primary language used in relational databases. SQL can retrieve any data stored in tables within a database based on certain criteria set by the user. The programmer then needs to be familiar with writing queries that specify what they want from the database while SQL handles retrieving the request.

Swift

Created by Apple, Swift is a high-level programming language that lets developers write code efficiently and simply. Apple first released Swift in 2014, but the company announced plans to make it open source in 2017.

Safe, fast, and in demand, Swift ranked in the top 20 most common coding languages in a 2021 survey by Stack Overflow. Fluency in this popular language has become increasingly valuable among programmers.

Benefits of Swift include using fewer lines of code than other languages and an easier time mastering new concepts. Swift also has an interactive playground where you can test code, which many other languages do not have.

C#

Created by Microsoft in 2002, C# is a high-level programming language with roots in visual basics. As of 2022, it is one of the most used coding languages in the world. C# also lends itself to rapid app development using frameworks like Xamarin. In addition, .NET Framework and .NET Core can enable app portability that may not exist with JavaScript frameworks such as NodeJS or AngularJS.

Rust

Launched in 2018, Rust is a modern language that offers memory safety without sacrificing performance. Rust works for devices of all sizes and emphasizes reliability. However, relatively few programmers use it, so it can be hard to find documentation online or connect with someone who knows how to code in the language.

Perl

Since its release more than 30 years ago, thousands of developers have adopted the Perl family of programming languages for its simplicity and flexibility. Since Perl shares a common syntax with most other coding languages, it is easy to learn and use.

This object-oriented, functional, and procedural language has 25,000 open-source modules. It integrates with many third-party databases and interfaces with external C/C++ libraries. Generally, Perl runs slowly, but it is efficient in text manipulation.

Go

First released in 2007, Go is the child of the Google development team. Initially, it was a project Google commissioned to improve the services department. In 2009, however, it became a full-fledged language and was introduced to the public.

In its early days, Go's primary users included software engineers and programmers looking for a high-performance programming language. Since then, it has grown its user base and now appears across industries, including product engineering, system design, robotics control systems as well as web development.

It is one of two languages Google created, along with Dart, which is primarily used on servers but not within browsers like JavaScript and Java.

R

A programming language that features a well-developed web framework is R. Developed by academics Ross Ihaka and Robert Gentleman in New Zealand, R performs statistical and computer graphics. It emerged directly from one of the oldest programming languages and now integrates with C and C++ for computationally intensive work.

R is an open-source data language with many benefits. For instance, the language features more than 10,000 packages, including dplyr and readr, both known for their ability to structure data. R is also platform independent and ideal for machine learning applications. It is not, however, an easy language to learn, and it runs slower than some newer languages.

HTML

HTML is a markup language that is the basis of website construction. It tells browsers how to render web pages. Although it is not programming in the traditional sense, HTML often requires extensive coding and may be challenging to learn.

Ruby on Rails

David Heinemeier Hansson created Ruby on Rails in 2004, and it's considered a highly popular, complex, and object-oriented language. It also has features like concurrency and metaprogramming. This open-source framework allows people to build powerful web applications with minimal effort. Many industries use Ruby, including e-commerce, education, government, and social media.

PHP

The first release of PHP occurred in 1995, and the language has been growing in popularity lately due to its simplicity and scalability. PHP is primarily used for web development (both back-end and front-end) but also powers online advertising, game development, database management systems, and hosting services.