Top 15 programming languages for web development

1. JavaScript
2. Java
3. Python
4. CSS
5. PHP
6. Ruby
7. C++
8. C
9. Shell
10. C#
11. Objective C
12. R
13. VimL
14. Go
15. Perl

Let’s learn about some of these Top 15 programming languages for web development in detail.

1. JavaScript

JavaScript is one of the most popular and dynamic programming languages used for creating and developing websites. This language is capable of achieving several things including controlling the browser, editing content on a document that has been displayed, allowing client-side scripts to communicate with users and also asynchronous communication. It was developed by Netscape and borrows a lot of its syntax from C language. JavaScript is used very widely and effectively in creating desktop applications as well as for developing games.

One of the best things about JavaScript for you as a developer or a website owner is that this is one of the few programming languages that are accepted and supported by all the major browsers without the need of any compilers or plug-ins. It can also be worked with on platforms that are not web-based, for example-desktop widgets and PDF docs. This is a multi-paradigm language which means that it has a combination of features. Also, JavaScript supports functional and object-oriented programming styles.

The features of a language define the way it will work, the way it responds, how easy is its code and what it can achieve. The following are some of the main features of JavaScript programming language for your reference:

• Structured – JavaScript is a highly structured language with a proper and planned syntax that has been derived from C. This language too has a function scoping by it lacks block scoping, unlike C. It too differentiates between statements and expressions, just like the fundamental C web programming platform.
• Dynamic – The types in JavaScript are not related with variables but with values. This is a dynamic programming language that enables you to test the type of an object in many different ways. Also, this programming language is object-oriented where all the objects are associative arrays.
• Functional – All functions in JavaScript are objects and are all first-class. They are associated with their own functions as well as characteristics. For example, a function within a function is called a nested function whereas this language also supports anonymous function.

2. Java

Java is yet another highly popular and widely used language that you can consider for web development. This language is an object-oriented, class-based and concurrent language that was developed by Sun Microsystems in the 1990s. Since then, the language continues to be the most in-demand language that also acts as a standard platform for enterprises and several mobile and games developers across the world. The app has been designed in such a way that it works across several types of platforms. This means that if a program is written on Mac Operating system then it can also run on Windows-based operating systems.

Java, when it was designed originally, was developed for interactive television, but the developers realized that this language and technology was way too forward for this industry. It was only later that it was incorporated into the use it serves today.

Every language is created with a certain mission, goal or objective in mind. The following are the 5 major principles or goals that were kept in mind during the creation of this language:

• It must be a secure and robust programming language
• It must be an object-oriented, simple language which becomes familiar soon.
• It must be capable of being implemented and executed with high performance.
• It must be threaded, dynamic and interpreted.
• It must be portable and architecture-neutral.

3. Python

Python is a highly used and all-purpose programming language which is dynamic in nature. Being dynamic in nature means that you as a developer can write and run the code without the need of a compiler. The design of the language is such that it supports code readability which means that its syntax is such that only a few lines of codes are needed to express a point or a concept. This concept of code readability is also possible in the case of Java and C++, etc. This is a high-level or advanced language that is considered easy for beginners to understand and learn.

Some of the apps that are powered by Python are Rdio, Instagram, and Pinterest. Besides this, some other web platforms that are supported by Python are Django, Google, NASA, and Yahoo, etc. Some of the other features of this language include automatic memory management, large library, dynamic type system and support of many paradigms.

Python works on a core philosophy and follows its main principles in all seriousness. The language was designed with the aim of making it highly extensible. This means that the language can easily be incorporated or embedded in existing applications. The goal of the developers of this language was to make it fun to use one. The developers worked on the language in such a way that it could reduce upon premature optimization. Here’s a look at some of the principles that have been summarized for you:

• Readability is important
• Complex is better than complicated-
• Beautiful is better than ugly
• Simple is better than complex
• Explicit is better than implicit

4. CSS

CSS or Cascading Style Sheets is rather a markup language. When paired with HTML, CSS allows a developer to decide and define how a web page or a website will eventually look or how it will appear to the visitors of the web platform. Some of the elements which CSS has an impact on include font size, font style, the overall layout, the colors and other design elements. This is a markup language that can be applied to several types of documents including Plain XML documents, SVG documents as well as XUL documents. For most websites across the world, CSS is the platform to opt for if they need help to create visually attractive web pages and finds use not just in the creation of web applications but also mobile apps.

The language’s syntax is pretty similar to that of HTML and XHTML, which work well in synchronization and combination of one another. The Stylesheets included in CSS consist of a selector and a declarator. The simple syntax of the language uses several English language words to define the styling properties. Common CSS Media Queries Break Points

5. PHP

The term ‘PHP’ is used to define PHP Hypertext Processor language that is a free server-side scripting language that has been designed for not just web development but also as a general-purpose programming platform. This is a widely used language that was created in the year 2004 and now powers over 200 million websites worldwide.

PHP is an interpreted script language which means that it is usually processed by an interpreter. For this reason, the language is most suitable for server-side programming that has server tasks being repeatedly performed when the website development process is on.

The following are some more points that shall help you understand the language better:

• PHP is an open source language and fast prototyping language.
• This language is compatible with UNIX based OS as well as Windows OS.
• Some industries where PHP is mostly used include startup businesses, advertising apps, and small software organizations as well as media agencies.
• The language can be embedded in HTML directly.

6. Ruby

Developed in the year 1993, Ruby is a dynamic programming language that is used for the creation or programming of mobile apps and websites. The language successfully balances imperative programming with functional programming and is a highly scalable language. This open source platform is not only simple to understand but also easy to write. But if you are a developer who wants to learn Ruby, then you will also have to equip yourself with the knowledge of Ruby on Rails or Rails which is another framework which can help you make it interesting to deal with Ruby. For those who are interested in creating small business software and for those who are into the field of creative designing, Ruby is the perfect programming language.

When its development, the idea was to come up with a language that was more productive in terms of programming and has a concise and simple code. Ruby is mostly used in the web servers where there is a lot of web traffic. Some examples of platforms that make use of this programming language include Hulu, Twitter, and Scribd, etc.

7. C++

C++ is a general purpose, well compiled and case sensitive web programming language that is not only imperative but also offers facilities for low-level memory manipulation. Since the language makes use of both low-level features as well as the feature of high-level languages, it is considered as a middle-level language. This language was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in the year 1979 and was later enhanced and renamed in 1983. Since C++ is an object-oriented language, it supports the 4 principles of object-oriented development including polymorphism, encapsulation, inheritance, and data hiding.

C++ is similar to C language in a lot of ways and is, in fact, the superset of C. This means that any program of C language is a program of C++ programming language. The language has many technical details, but the key to learning this language for you is not to get lost in these details but rather concentrate on its concepts.

Like any other language, this language too based on a philosophy and has certain elements that make it what it really is. C++ consists of three important parts, and they are given as follows:

• The standard library of C++ is capable of giving a rich combination and gamut of features such as strings and manipulating sets, etc.
• The standard template library or STL is capable of giving a rich set of methods manipulating data structures and other elements.
• The core C++ language has the capability of giving the building elements like literals, data types, and variables.

8. C Language

C is another general-purpose and imperative programming language which was developed way back in the 70s and is similar to C++ language. This language is known to be the most widely used programming platform that offers building elements for other languages like C++, Python, Java, and others. These languages borrow features either directly or indirectly from it, and some of these include control structures, overall syntax, and standard libraries. This is the reason why if you want to learn to program, it is advisable that you learn C and C++ first and then move onto the others after strengthening your foundation. Some of the features that this language supports include static type system, lexical variable scope, recursion and structured programming.

The following are some of the points which shall help you understand the overall design of C language:

• C is a procedural or imperative language
• The language was designed in such a way that can be easily compiled by making use of a simple compiler.
• The language was designed to offer a low-level access to memory.
• It was designed in a way that it should need minimum possible run-time support and encourages cross-platform programming.

Thanks for Reading, these are the Top 15 programming languages for web development, Also Read 5 Tips for Productive Developers