How many programming languages are there, exactly?

Programming, the mysterious craft that we all have heard about at some point, know that a lot of people do it, but not all have asked themselves the question how it’s actually done. Programming languages, the syntax of instructions for your computer to execute. When you hear about “programming”, what is being referred to is writing sets of those instructions in order to build a complete piece of software.

The best thing about programming is the diversity, if you write code you’re not limited to a single language, in fact, there are more of those than you could ever memorize, each having its own advantages, disadvantages, and dedicated use-cases. It would be impossible to mention all of them, but we’ll try to do our best to highlight the most common, most important ones.

JavaScript

Most commonly used language by the programming community according to StackOverflow 2018 survey. Its application is mainly website development. It allows for web pages to be interactive, as, without it, users would be forced to rely on CSS, which allows for changes on a page to be shown only after reloading it completely. Aside from that, JavaScript allows for full applications being written in some cases, like mobile games.

Java

Despite its name, Java and JavaScript are not related in any way. This programming language has been one of the most widely adopted ones for years and its position does not seem to be in any danger. It’s the programming language of choice when it comes to developing for Android. It’s also being often used by the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies, thus its importance cannot be overstated. Thanks to its popularity companies looking to hire a programmer will are very likely to require knowledge of Java.

Kotlin

While Java is doing very well and it’s position is very stable, Kotlin is out to take its place. On May 17th, 2017, on Google I/O Kotlin was announced as the official programming language for Android. The implications of this action are immense, as Android’s market share is nearly 77% as of June 2018. While Kotlin, in this case, is not very concerned with developing for web, apps are replacing website experience on smartphones more and more each year, as well as web traffic slowly getting dominated by mobile devices, and this means it’ll be easier and easier to find a programmer specialized in this language. Maybe not this year, maybe not the next year, but the forecast is promising.

Python

By many considered the most legible programming language, and, by extension, the easiest one to learn and start programming experience with as a whole thanks to its syntax is easily readable. Its uses range from industry-grade firmware upgrade software, to chatroom bots, and even games.

C++

While not necessarily the most popular programming language in use, it’s still easily found in a lot of applications, and it’s certainly one of the most powerful languages out there. It’s mainly applicable for low-level software, but it’s not a strict rule by no means. If you’ve ever used Microsoft Windows or Google Chrome then you’ve had the chance to see products made with C++ in action. The language is very mature, and can run pretty much everywhere.

What you can do with those programming languages

Enter code hackathons. A great way to learn and perfect your coding skills. If you made it all the way to this paragraph it means you have interest in programming languages, why not take it one step further and pick one to master? Code hackathons can help you with that at every stage of your programming journey! Look around on online platforms like ChallengeRocket.com to find one to sign up for. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us, we’ll be waiting!