Learning programming languages for web development or mobile app development may be tough for beginners, unless the right guidance is sought. How to choose the best programming language for you to learn is the objective of this post on the alternatives available right now in 2020.

Choices, Choices, Choices…

The most common uses of programming languages are mobile development, web development, and game development and so on. Some of the most in-demand programming languages are presented below, which cover most of the common uses to which developers may require.

• Python: Python has been chosen as first on the list because it is possibly the most user-friendly language in this list. Python is very like speaking and writing in plain English. Its syntax is clear and intuitive. This makes it one of the most popular choices for beginners. At the same time, Python is extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of powerful applications. For example, in the web development back-end, written in Python, the Django Framework Open Source, is most popular. This is because it is easy to learn and yet rich in features. Popular sites like Spotify, Instagram and, Mozilla, have all been developed using Django, which in turn uses Python. Python boasts of wonderful libraries too, like, SciPy (Scientific Python) and NumPy (Numerical Python) that are most used in scientific Computing, Mathematics and Engineering fields. Data Science is to a large extent dependant on Python (and R). The hugely popular Python libraries, in common use in Data Science, are PyTorch, OpenCV, scikitlearn and TensorFlow. These are also immensely useful in Computer Vision, Image Processing and Machine Learning. Python is also a great choice for academics.

• Python: Python has been chosen as first on the list because it is possibly the most user-friendly language in this list. Python is very like speaking and writing in plain English. Its syntax is clear and intuitive. This makes it one of the most popular choices for beginners. At the same time, Python is extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of powerful applications. For example, in the web development back-end, written in Python, the Django Framework Open Source, is most popular. This is because it is easy to learn and yet rich in features. Popular sites like Spotify, Instagram and, Mozilla, have all been developed using Django, which in turn uses Python. Aside from these popular adult dating apps like Tinder, Local Sex App, and Grindr among others have been developed with other frameworks. Python boasts of wonderful libraries too, like, SciPy (Scientific Python) and NumPy (Numerical Python) that are most used in scientific Computing, Mathematics and Engineering fields. Data Science is to a large extent dependant on Python (and R). The hugely popular Python libraries, in common use in Data Science, are PyTorch, OpenCV, scikitlearn and TensorFlow. These are also immensely useful in Computer Vision, Image Processing and Machine Learning. Python is also a great choice for academics.
• JavaScript: JavaScript has been chosen in the 2019 Developer Survey, by Stack Overflow, as the most popular language among developers for the 7th straight year in a row. JavaScript with HTML and CSS is most essential for front-end web development. Some of the most popular sites on the web rely on JavaScript to create interactive web pages and dynamically display web content to Users. JavaScript, though primarily a front-end language, can also be used on the Server Side, using Node.js. This gives it compatibility with other programming languages like Windows, Mac OS X, SunOS and Linux. Its flexible syntax makes it forgiving enough to work across all major browsers.
• Swift: Since it was first announced in 2014, Swift has been Apple’s go-to programming language. Swift is part of the Proprietary Apple Software System, which can operate interchangeably on each and every Apple device. It is used to develop iOS and macOS applications and has been thoroughly optimized from the basics to match the ground realities of modern iOS development. iOS is of course universal across every iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch (watchOS) and Apple TV (tvOS). Apple leads the field in iOS apps and is also easy to learn, so it may be profitable for beginners to learn Swift.
• C#: C# was originally designed by Microsoft as part of its ‘.NET’ framework for building Windows applications. It is an object-oriented language built on the foundations of C language. So C# uses a syntax that is similar to other C-derived languages. This makes it easy to pick up if another language in the C family is already known. Useful for building cross-platform apps on the Xamarin platform, it is also essential for VR (Virtual Reality) development.
• Rust: Rust was intended by its developers, The Mozilla Corporation, primarily for low-level systems programming. But its stress on speed and security makes it a standout winner. ‘Safe Codes’ are emphasized by Rust which prevents programs from accessing forbidden parts of the memory. It is of course rather more difficult to master for beginners, but it is one of the languages of the future.
• Scala: Scala is a modern cousin to the classic programming language, Java. Scala has absorbed some of the best features of Java, such as, its lightening fast JVM run-time environment and its Object-Oriented Structure, but with a clever twist for modern engineers, in which the code quality is elevated to resemble pure mathematics.
• Go: Go is a core language which is a favorite of Google. Go is ideal for engineers as a low-level language. It is also a compiled language, which allows a blistering fast run-time.
• Elm: Front-end developers passionately love Elm. Beginning as a Harvard student’s thesis, this young language has now grown to be used around the world. Elm compiles to JavaScript, and is a functional programming language. Client-side interfaces can be created without HTML and CSS.
• Ruby: This is a scripting language that is the basis for the popular Ruby on Rails Web application framework. Like its Chief Inventor, Yukihiro Matsumoto, Ruby is reputed to be a kind and considerate language, with a straight-forward syntax. Some of the greatest tech businesses, like, Airbnb, Shopify, Bloomberg, and Plenty of Fish have all built their startup websites based on Ruby.

The best programming languages are not the flashiest or trendiest. In 2020, it is most likely that the languages that have held center stage in 2019, 2018, and 2017, are the same ones that will be best this year too. All the languages discussed above have great staying powers. They are all easily learnt by even beginners, with the added advantage that they are likely to around even after several years, so users don’t have to learn a new language again. It is most important however to select the language that will not only be easy to learn, but also will be of real assistance in the software development that the learner is most likely to be interested in. These different possibilities can be classified as follows:

• Front-end web development: JavaScript
• Back-end Web development: Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, JavaScript
• Mobile development: Swift, Java, C#
• Systems programming: C, Rust
• Desktop applications: Python, C++, Java
• Game development: C++, C#

The name of the game with programming languages is flexibility and diversity. …