SATURDAY: READING

4 top programming languages to learn in 2021

Python was created in the late 1980s by Guido van Rossum. Earlier, Guido has helped develop a
general-purpose programming language ABC. It had some drawbacks, though the functionality
was pretty decent. So Guido took the syntax and the best features of ABC and created a new
scripting language to fix all those issues.

The growing popularity of Python has become one of the recent trends in programming languages.
According to the survey by Stack Overflow, it is the first in the line of the top programming
languages developers do not know but want to learn.

Advantages
● Simplicity.
Python has an easy
to read and
understand syntax.
A flat learning
curve makes this
programming
language a nice
choice for
beginners.
● A great
number of libraries.
With extensive
Python libraries,
developers no longer need to write the code from scratch. All functions required for
performing basic tasks are already there.
● Open-source nature. Python is free to use and distribute.

Disadvantages
● Slow execution speed. Since Python code is executed line by line, the whole process is
rather slow. It means that this programming language will not work for projects where speed
is a crucial factor.
● Great memory consumption. The flexibility of the data types makes Python’s memory
consumption pretty high.
● Uselessness for mobile development. Python is among the top web languages used mostly
for building the server-side of apps. We rarely see it on client-side and mobile apps.

Implementation area
The latest software language trends show that the following domains can benefit from using
Python.

● Medicine; Pharmacology; Neuroscience; Psychology; Biology; Astronomy.

Since Python is among the top languages for web development, there are plenty of famous
websites built with its help. For example, the tech giant Google considers Python one of their key
programming languages alongside Java and C++. Many internal systems and Google App
Engines use this programming language.

Another well-known example is Spotify. The server-side of the website contains lots of
interdependent services. Up to 80% of them are built with Python.

2. Kotlin

JetBrains introduced Kotlin in 2011. Previously, the company used Java to build tools for
developers and project managers. However, lots of repetitive work became a real challenge for
the JetBrains team, so they started searching for alternative options. For some time, They used
Scala, Clojure, and Groovy. However, these programming languages could not satisfy all their
requirements. So the JetBrains team decided to create their language with all the features they
needed.

Kotlin v 1.0 was officially released in 2016. Latest programming languages trends show it has
been the fastest-growing programming language over the recent few years. It is largely due to the
fact that Google declared Kotlin the preferred technology for Android developers in 2019.

Advantages
● Good coordination with Java code. Kotlin is noted for its consistency with Java, its
frameworks, and tools. Given that, switching from one programming language (Java) to
another (Kotlin) becomes less painful.
● Fewer bugs. The codebase of Kotlin is clear and compact, and it leaves less room for
mistakes.
● Easy maintenance. Kotlin is famous for its support for different IDEs, including Android
Studio and SDK tools.

Disadvantages
● Slow compilation speed. Developers define slow complication speed as a significant
disadvantage of Kotlin. However, numerous tests show mixed results. Sometimes, Kotlin
outperforms Java in terms of compilation speed. However, in some cases, Java is the
winner.
● Restricted resources. Though the number of developers switching to Kotlin is growing
steadily, the community is still pretty small. It means that there are few resources for
learning this programming language and resolving various queries.
● Kotlin is different from Java. These programming languages have a lot in common, still,
they have principal differences. So if you want to switch your Java-based Android app to
Kotlin, your team will need additional training.
Implementation area
Kotlin is one of the best new programming languages which is well suited for Android software
development. In addition, according to the fresh programming languages trends, it can be used
successfully for the following purposes:

● Building IoT applications; iOS application development; Web development;

3. Scala
Martin Odersky started working on Scala in 2001. In one of the interviews, he stated that the idea
was to combine functional and object-oriented programming. Similar to other programming
languages, Scala was created with a specific purpose in mind. According to Odersky, it was a
desire to build more advanced language support for component software.

Increasing demand for Scala developers became one of the hottest programming languages
trends. It can be explained by the fact that this programming language, along with Perl, is
associated with the highest salary worldwide.

Advantages
● Compatibility
with Java. Coders are
free to use JVM (Java
Virtual Machine) and
keep Java libraries.
● Functional
coding. It allows for
functional and
object-oriented
programming. Scala
developers can write
functional and concise
code with its help. In
addition, this
programming language amplifies software development and testing.
● Scala is among the top web programming languages. Owing to its complex features, Scala
offers better coding and provides increased performance.

Disadvantages
● Steep learning curve. Some Scala features, such as functional programming and
continuations, are less familiar for coders. Learning these approaches takes time. Besides,
they say that Scala’s syntax is more complicated if compared to Java.
 ● Restricted developer pool. The number of coders who know Scala well is limited.
Therefore, it can be challenging to find the right specialist for your project.
● It can be abandoned anytime. Since Scala is one of the emerging programming languages,
there is a risk that it will not “make it”. However, you should not worry about it since the
number of big names switching to Scala grows steadily.

Implementation area
Scala programming language can be used for different purposes. It works well for different types of
custom business software development projects. They include big data and distributed
applications. When it comes to well-known websites built with Scala, we should mention LinkedIn,
Twitter, Tumblr, and Foursquare.

4. JavaScript

Brandan Eich created JavaScript in 1995 while working at Netscape Communications. At that
time, this computer services company launched the first popular web browser called Netscape
Navigator. So Eich’s task was to develop a programming language specifically for this browser.

At first Javascript, now one of the top programming languages, was called Mocha. However, when
Netscape united with Sun, the name was changed to JavaScript.

The popularity of JavaScript is undeniable. The survey by Stack Overflow showing current trends
in programming languages proves this fact. Javascript is named a programming language that is
the most commonly used by professional developers.

Advantages

● Wide
acceptance.
JavaScript is
considered one of
the top
programming
languages for
web
development.
W3Tech states
that it is used as
a primary
front-end
programming
language for 97.1% of all websites found on the Internet.
● Server load. Being client-side technology, JavaScript reduces the demand on servers. The
simplest applications may not require servers at all.
● Interoperability. JavaScript works well with other top programming languages and can be
used in different types of applications.
Disadvantages
● There is no static typing. This drawback serves as a reason why it can be difficult to build
large applications. Though TypeScript overlay can be used to make things better.
● Browser support. JavaScript is interpreted differently depending on the browser. For this
reason, developers need to check their code on several browsers before releasing it.
● Insufficient client-side security. Users can view JavaScript code and use it for malicious
purposes. For example, they can add code snippets to a website that compromises the
security of its data.

Implementation area
JavaScript, being of the top programming languages, can be used for various purposes, such as:
● Mobile app development; Web games; Desktop applications.
● The front-end of web applications; The back-end of web apps;

COMPLETE THE QUESTIONS BELOW FROM THE READING ABOVE:

Which of these four programming languages interests you the most? WHY?

Which of these four programming languages would help you in your career goal? WHY?

List some key new words or phrases you learned from the reading?