There are around 8,945 different coding languages that have been created by people and are in use today

From thousands of coding languages in existence, Python has distinguished itself as the one on top in many countries worldwide, including Pakistan, followed closely by C++, Java, JavaScript, and SQL.

With a huge shift to the digital age over the last two decades, there are around 8,945 different coding languages that have been created by people and are in use today, as stated by the Online Historical Encyclopedia of Programming Languages. Among these, however, only a select few have made it anywhere near popularity and widespread use.

As such, the programming language currently taking the lead is Python. Developed by Guido Van Rossum in the 1980s specifically to be a user-friendly language, Python has a simplified syntax, a simple ABC-like structure with more focus on natural language, which can easily communicate with an Operating System (OS).

It has thus proven its value to programmers all over the world who are tired of writing lengthy and complicated codes in the C language.

Many institutions all over Pakistan teach Python, believing it to be the best language because it is very easy to code in and even easier to learn. More and more companies have a growing demand for Python coders as well because it is the most efficient to work with.

That said, Python is also not the only language to gain widespread popularity among users. Followed very closely in competition for the top spot in programming languages is C++. Not to be mistaken for C (which is more “procedural”), C++ has a more object-oriented approach.

Popular for being powerful, stable, and providing a Standard Template Library (STL) for ready-to-use algorithms and operations, it has gained considerable merit for being the best to use for file systems and OS, a necessary part in any and all computers.

“C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot; C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow off your whole leg”, said Bjarne Stroustrup, the inventor and developer of C++, vouching for its effectiveness.

Recognizing its efficacy, companies in Pakistan are looking to hire programmers proficient in this language, as it gives a clear structure to programs and can let the codes be reused, thus reducing the costs involved in development.

Java, another programming language, has distinguished itself in terms of flexibility, frequent updates, and ease of scalability to meet the ever-growing demands of businesses everywhere. A general-purpose language created to develop programs that can run on any system, Java has a whopping 40.2 percent popularity among programmers and enjoys the status of being one of the highest-paid programming languages to learn.

Easier and more user-friendly than C or C++, and being the master behind Android – a sizeable giant in the mobile market – and the key language used in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, companies across Pakistan are on a rapid lookout for Java programmers, with institutions and courses all over Pakistan, and even worldwide, springing up to provide specialized training.

“Most undergraduate degrees in computer science these days are basically Java vocational training. I’ve heard complaints from even mighty Stanford University with its illustrious faculty that basically the undergraduate computer science program is little more than Java certification,” stated American computer scientist and pioneer of object-oriented programming, Alan Kay, while commenting on Java’s popularity and user preference.

Following Java close by is the programming language JavaScript, which is used by an absolutely massive 97.8 percent of the world’s websites. This is because JavaScript allows its programmers to set up interactive and dynamic content, as well as intricate features like animated and lively visuals, graphics, and illustrations onto the browser, all with only a simple code editor after which the code can be implemented straight into browsers online effortlessly.

“JavaScript is the only language that I’m aware of that people feel they don’t need to learn before they start using it”, remarked Douglas Crockford, an American programmer involved in the development of JavaScript, vouching for how easy to learn and use it is.

It has thus caused considerable and overwhelming popularity among programmers and developers working with websites, and companies looking to hire programmers that can make their websites for them.

A programming language that is now on the rise of gaining rapid popularity in Pakistan is SQL, or Structured Query Language. Though SQL has proven itself a time-resistant force that is now 48 years old, it is still used widely in many parts of the world and has started to gain immense regard in Pakistan over the last decade as well. Being the best programming language to interconnect, operate, and manipulate databases, it is a simple yet powerful tool for the construction, adjustment, and removal of database objects.

This has led to increasing popularity among users that find themselves working with a lot of data – for example, data scientists, data engineers, data analysts, etc. –  as well as companies and businesses everywhere, as they fundamentally need to work with databases, no matter how small or huge.

Per se, the use of SQL has spread everywhere. Companies like Uber and Netflix rely on SQL for their databases, and even the Fortune 500 companies that have developed their own database systems still use SQL to perform analyses. The usage of SQL today among all computer scientists working with data stands at an impressive 70 percent, with its use only expected to grow in demand even further as time carries on.

A data scientist from Singapore commented, “SQL is so pervasive; it permeates everything here. It’s like the SQL syntax persists through time and space. Everything uses SQL or a derivative of SQL”, attesting to its longstanding reign over the world of data and computer programming.

While true that many programming languages have arisen and died over time, a handful of them have consistently managed to provide their users with what they need to develop the content they desire. Python taking the top spot overall, and followed closely by C++, Java, JavaScript, and SQL, for the foreseeable future it seems their popularity will only continue to be on the steady rise and demand in Pakistan.