If you’re relatively unfamiliar with programming languages and software and web development, trying to wade through all the information available online can be a bit intimidating.
But, as more of our personal and professional lives start to rely on online services, you may find that it will be useful to have some basic understanding of this field to assess any potential services, classes, or resources you may.
Here, we’ll go through 5 of the most commonly used programming languages that are used in web development today.
C: The Grandfather Programming Language
This programming language isn’t very commonly used in its pure form for web development, but it’s featured here because it’s served as a significant influence or model for many other languages used in software and web development today, including:
- Java
- PHP
- JavaScript
- Python
- Perl
- C++
- C#
Although it can be used to develop many applications, including games and software programs, C is most commonly used to scripting system applications, like Windows, Linux, and UNIX operating systems. On the other hand, C++, which is commonly called a “superset” of C, can be found on the back-end of many web applications that rely on large databases.
JavaScript: The Every-Day Language
If you’ve ever used a standard website builder, you’ve likely seen options to add HTML and CSS code to build the visual elements of your website.
Well, JavaScript is the language that controls how a site visitor’s browser applies and interprets the visual elements listed in HTML and CSS format. JavaScript is the most commonly used programming language today, as it’s used on 96.5% of all websites.
Python: The Fastest Growing Language
Among the options on this list, Python is the only one that isn’t primarily used for web development. It’s also used to develop desktop software applications, including data science programs, writing systems, and video games.
Within web development, Python is often used to build websites and web applications that can handle high workloads, but it’s among the more advanced languages, so it tends to be reserved for web development among major companies that handle a lot of data, including Google, Instagram, Dropbox, Spotify, and Netflix.
Ruby: The Niche Language
Compared to the other languages listed here, Ruby is a bit of a niche language, in part because it was created relatively recently, in 2005. In contrast with most other programming languages, Ruby doesn’t follow strict protocols and allows a lot of creativity.
ROR web development offers a lot of advantages over other options, including Python, PHP, and JavaScript. Because of its simplified and fluid nature, Ruby on Rails can create incredibly fast and responsive websites and web applications.
Additionally, having a website that’s built by ROR developers can have the advantage of having the same people working on the front (visual elements) and backend (web services and application scripting) of the project.
PHP: The Background Language
PHP is another language known for web development uses, and it’s much more commonly used, with close to 79% of websites using PHP coding to some extent. Wikipedia pages, WordPress sites, and many others use PHP, but despite its high usage rate, it’s seeing a gradual decline.
But, much like the other languages featured on this list, despite the drawbacks some developers might find with it, it’s not likely to be going anywhere soon, especially because of its high level of flexibility, making it great for building dynamic websites.
