There are many programming languages, each with its benefits, drawbacks, and typical uses. Some have been around for 30 or 40 years, while others are still pretty new. In this list, we’ll discuss the most popular languages.
JavaScript currently ranks as the world’s most widely used programming language, followed by HTML/CSS, SQL, Python, and Java. But what are these, exactly, and how are they utilized? Here’s a general overview.
What is JavaScript?
JavaScript is a compact, lightweight, text-based programming and scripting language created by Brendan Eich for the Netscape web browser in the mid-1990s. It runs within browsers or on a server. You can learn JavaScript quickly, and it has gained popularity over the years for its simple web-based applications, mobile applications, animated images, and cross-platform games.
What is HTML?
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, a coding language that defines how text and graphics are represented on the web. Developed in 1993 by Tim Berners-Lee, HTML is still the standard language used for web pages. It is a set of rules that tell a website what a web page should look like. Generally speaking any type on internet marketing professional should have a good grasp on this language.
What is CSS?
HTML code can be assisted by technologies such as CSS, which stands for Cascading Style Sheets. Introduced by Hakon Wium Lie in 1994, CSS is now a common way to style web pages and other web-based content. You could look at it as a style guide that tells a website how to format a web page.
What is SQL?
SQL (Structured Query Language) has been around for decades, but it’s been gaining recent traction in the mainstream. First developed at IBM by Donald D. Chamberlin and Raymond F. Boyce, SQL is an enterprise-ready, foundational programming language for manipulating data in relational databases. SQL (https://www.tutorialspoint.com/sql/sql-overview.htm) queries and analytics are at the core of the modern web, with software developers making considerable use of them in their websites and apps.
What is Python?
Python is an object-oriented, general-purpose language created in 1991 by Guido van Rossum. It allows the user to control the structure of a program. By using objects in Python, you can build more extensive programs, and with its dynamic semantics, you can choose the syntax that fits your needs. You can also create a Python program to be compiled into an executable program.
What is Java?
Java, not to be confused with JavaScript, isn’t a single language. Instead, it’s a collection of libraries and tools for Java-based applications, which are literally everywhere–from computers to gaming consoles to smartphones. Developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems (now Oracle), Java powers the digital world by using the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) and a JVM, or Java Virtual Machine, to run securely and reliably.
Conclusion
There are numerous other programming languages, such as the Three C’s (C#, C, and C++), Go, Swift, and PHP. The list goes on and on. It’s up to you to pick a programming language that best suits your needs, whatever they may be.
If you’re interested in acquiring a skill or applying something new to your business, just remember that languages aren’t necessarily equal. Choose the one you’ll find most useful. But if you’re ambitious, eager to learn, and willing to follow some basic principles, you could learn to use any of the above programming languages with relative ease.