Which Programming Language will see the Biggest Jump in usage for 2022?

Following trends in Software Programming into the new year

Feb 01, 2022

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1. Rust

Rust is a multi-paradigm, general-purpose programming language designed for performance and safety, especially safe concurrency.

Rust was created in 2010 as an alternative to C++ by a Mozilla employee Graydon Hoare. Syntactically similar to C++, Rust provides better performance, safer memory management. Hence, the name's choice, which is a substring of “robust”. Now, the independent Rust Foundation manages its open-source code base.

Rust shines as the most loved language for the sixth year in a row. Let's see why it holds a prominent position among the modern programming languages.

Advantages

Safe and unsafe Rust. These two modes of writing in Rust represent if the solution is secure. Safe Rust puts limitations on development compared to unsafe Rust. For example, safe Rust implies object ownership management. But it creates the trusted code with guaranteed memory safety.
Elimination of memory bugs and incorrect operations at compile time. Rust includes the borrow checker that removes memory bugs when writing the code. So, garbage collection is not needed with such swift clearing of the memory space. Also, Rust informs on any fault operations with objects. Thus, the bugs are detected as early as possible, saving time and cost for removing them when the code is finished or launched. This peculiarity distinguishes Rust among the programming language trends in 2022.
Compatibility with other languages. Other programming languages can use the Rust projects as libraries. This is helpful when replacing the software parts where high performance and memory safety are essential.

Disadvantages

Many error messages while coding. Error messages in Rust appear while you're writing the code. This might be not very pleasant. Still, they are a precious source of information that enables you to correct your code at early stages.
Steep learning curve. It takes some time to master this language. Also, you need to know C++ or another object-oriented programming language to start working with Rust.

Source: Stack Overflow: Rust is consistently the most loved programming language on Stack Overflow.

Why Work with Rust?

Rust is used for the development of game engines, file systems, browser components, and VR simulation engines. Many companies use Rust in production, including Mozilla, npm, Dropbox, and Figma.

There are some more impressive facts about this programming language. Microsoft explores it for building the components of Windows and Azure. Google attempts to build parts of the Android operating system with Rust. AWS's Firecracker that processes trillions of requests monthly is built with Rust only.

2. Clojure

For a top paying programming job, Clojure is the nearly a sure bet.

Clojure is a dynamic and functional dialect of the Lisp programming language on the Java platform. Like other Lisp dialects, Clojure treats code as data and has a Lisp macro system.

Source: Stack Overflow

Advantages

Simplicity. The members of the Lisp family share the same feature - simple syntax. Clojure's minimalism and consistency allow the easy transformation of code into data.
Stability. Rich Hickey suggests that the language should develop steadily rather than through leaps. So the code with different language versions is likely to be compatible over the years.
Dynamics. One of the latest programming trends is rapid prototyping. Clojure allows creating prototypes with overwhelming speed.
Persistent data structures. Immutable data structures exclude side effects and ensure easy testing.
Functions as values. The functional approach is a core feature differentiating Clojure from other Lisp dialects. Operating functions as values brings flexibility in customizing solutions.
REPL. Clojure's REPL is an interactive development environment that runs the code in small steps, making it simpler to implement. It helps to handle complex computing operations balancing automation and improvisation in development. Programmers highly value Clojure for the feedback that REPL provides.
Support of multiple development ecosystems. Clojure is compatible with Java Virtual Machine (JVM), .Net, and JavaScript. With access to these ecosystems, Clojure allows full-stack development with fewer bugs. This aspect ensures Clojure's growth along with major programming languages in 2022.

Disadvantages

Redundancy. The other side of the non-breaking approach to Clojure’s design is accruing multiple ways to solve the same problem. Researching and understanding them might be confusing, especially for beginners.
Not suitable for real-time solutions. Clojure cannot be used for real-time services where responsiveness is crucial.
Lack of static typing layer. This brings a burden on testing the solutions and impedes large teams' work due to difficult code sharing.
Poor bug reports. Developers note the complexity and obscurity of bug reports in Clojure.

Why Work with Clojure?

The State of Clojure survey shows that this programming language is mostly used for web development, enterprise apps, and Big Data.

The top examples of companies using Clojure include Adobe, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and SoundCloud.

Rich Hickey created this dialect of Lisp in 2007. The name is based on the programming concept of “closure”. The letters C, L, and J stand for C#, Lisp, and Java, reflecting Clojure's design philosophy. It is based on Lisp functional programming, works on the Java platform, and allows concurrency.

Clojure developers have the highest median salary as most are experienced professionals. Also, the language is rarely used, so there are fewer specialists in this area than with popular programming languages.

3. Golang

Go is a statically typed, compiled programming language syntactically similar to C, but with memory safety, garbage collection, structural typing, and CSP-style concurrency.

New languages are sharply rising on the horizon, with new contenders coming up to challenge the throne owned by JavaScript and Python. Golang has already made it the fifth-best language to learn by StackOverflow, being adored by 62.3% of developers.

Some of the amazing features of Go are:

Simple to learn and understand.
Supports automation processes.
It facilitates AI and data science processes.
Companies working on Go are Google, BBC, Medium, Uber.

Go, which is a procedural programming language, appeared in 2007. Its creators are Google developers Robe Pike, Ken Thompson, and Robert Griesemer. Go was designed to make the software development process in Google more productive and scalable.

In 2009, developers resealed Go as an open-source project.

Advantages

Easy to learn. Go ranks among top programming languages with a clean and easy-to-read syntax. Besides, it does not have many complex functions to learn. That is why this programming language is a good option for newbies.
Great standard library. Go comes with a decent standard library, which makes the use of third-party libraries for such things as string manipulation, testing, and HTTP servers less required.
Robust static analysis tools. Take gofmt as an example. This instrument formats the written code in compliance with the style suggested by Go. It means that your team gets more time to concentrate on the purpose of the code.

Disadvantages

Limited packaging. Go offers a smaller number of packages compared to other ecosystems such as Ruby or Node.js. The thing is that its standard library has all the essential characteristics. Therefore, assistance from third parties is not required.
Poor error handling. Developers need to use a repair error function if they expect any errors in their code. Also, they have to write many blocks to verify this mistake. As a result, developers get less clean code.
Lack of frameworks. There is no major Go framework that developers can use. In this regard, it falls behind other top languages for web development such as Python, PHP, or Ruby that are famous for their great frameworks.

Why Work with Golang?

The latest trends in programming languages suppose using Go for the following products:

Cloud services;
Media platforms;
Google products;
On-demand services.

4. Kotlin

Kotlin is a cross-platform, statically typed, general-purpose programming language with type inference. Kotlin is designed to interoperate fully with Java.

JetBrains introduced Kotlin in 2011. If Swift is the language of choice for iOS development, then Kotlin is the primary language for Android.

Previously, the company used Java to build tools for developers and project managers. However, repetitive work became a real challenge for the JetBrains team, so they started searching for alternative options. For some time, they used Scala, Clojure, and Groovy. However, these programming languages could not satisfy all their requirements. So the JetBrains team decided to create their language with all the features they needed.

Some of the prominent features of Kotlin are:

Concise code and structured concurrency.
Enhanced security features.
Coding is approximately 20% less as compared to Java.
It is 100% interoperable.
Companies working on Kotlin are Pinterest, Uber, Trello, Amazon, etc.

Kotlin v 1.0 was officially released in 2016. The latest programming languages trends show it has been the fastest-growing programming language over the recent few years. It is largely because Google declared Kotlin the preferred technology for Android developers in 2019.

Advantages

Good coordination with Java code. Kotlin is noted for its consistency with Java, its frameworks and tools. Given that, switching from one programming language (Java) to another (Kotlin) becomes less painful. Now, it's better with the new Java virtual machine (JVM) internal representation (IR) compiler.
Fewer bugs. The codebase of Kotlin is clear and compact, and it leaves less room for mistakes.
Easy maintenance. Kotlin is famous for its support for different IDEs, including Android Studio and SDK tools.

Disadvantages

Slow compilation speed. Developers define slow compilation speed as a significant disadvantage of Kotlin. However, numerous tests show mixed results. Sometimes, Kotlin outperforms Java in regard to compilation speed. However, in some cases, Java is the winner.
Limited resources. Though the number of developers switching to Kotlin is growing steadily, the community is still pretty small. It means that there are few resources for learning this programming language and resolving various queries.
Kotlin is different from Java. These programming languages have a lot in common. Still, they have principal differences. So if you want to switch your Java-based Android app to Kotlin, your team will need additional training.

Why Work with Kotlin?

Kotlin is one of the best new programming languages, well suited for Android software development. In addition, according to the fresh programming languages trends, it can be used successfully for the following purposes:

Building IoT applications;
iOS application development;
Web development;
Data analytics;
Data science;
Game development.

5. Scala

Scala is a strong statically typed general-purpose programming language which supports both object-oriented programming and functional programming. Designed to be concise, many of Scala's design decisions are aimed to address criticisms of Java.

Martin Odersky started working on Scala in 2001. In one of the interviews, he stated that the idea was to combine functional and object-oriented programming. Similar to other programming languages, Scala was created with a specific purpose in mind. According to Odersky, it was a desire to build more advanced language support for component software.

Increasing demand for Scala developers became one of the hottest programming languages trends.

Advantages

Compatibility with Java. Coders can use JVM (Java Virtual Machine) and keep Java libraries.
Functional coding. It allows for functional and object-oriented programming. Scala developers can write functional and concise code with its help. In addition, this programming language amplifies software development and testing.
Scala is among the top web programming languages. Scala offers better coding and provides increased performance due to its complex features.

Disadvantages

Steep learning curve. Some Scala features, such as functional programming and continuations, are less familiar for coders. Learning these approaches takes time. Besides, they say that Scala's syntax is more complicated when compared to Java.
Limited developer pool. There are few coders who know Scala well. Therefore, finding the right specialist for your project can be challenging.
It can be abandoned anytime. Since Scala is one of the emerging programming languages, there is a risk that it will not “make it.” However, you should not worry about it since the number of big names switching to Scala grows steadily.

Why Work with Scala?

Scala programming language can be used for different purposes. It works well for different types of custom business software development projects. They include Big Data and distributed applications. So Scala stays among the programming languages of the future.

When it comes to well-known websites built with Scala, we should mention LinkedIn, Twitter, Tumblr, and Foursquare.

7. Typescript

Why Use Typescript?

TypeScript is a programming language developed and maintained by Microsoft. It is a strict syntactical superset of JavaScript and adds optional static typing to the language.

TypeScript is the superset of JavaScript and has almost the same applications as JavaScript. TypeScript can be used in web development, mobile app development, desktop app development, and so on. TypeScript is the second most popular language as mentioned by StackOverflow’s list of most loved languages, being loved by 67.1% of developers (being second only to Rust).

Released by Microsoft in 2012, TypeScript is a “typed” version of JavaScript that’s hugely popular for big code bases. The language is used in both client-side and server-side development to create JavaScript-based projects with typing, which is useful for catching mistakes and avoiding systemic issues.

While JavaScript is the main language for web pages and online applications, it was not originally designed to create large, complex systems like the web applications we know and love today. Therefore TypeScript is quickly growing in popularity for making Javascript development more efficient.

TypeScript is mainly a language meant for development, so it does not have much appeal to the scientific community. However, because of the new features of TypeScript, one can expect that it might inspire a slightly greater degree of interest for research. The language has a much lower skill ceiling than JavaScript – and many “difficult-to-understand” behaviors of JavaScript have been simplified in TypeScript. In other words, you have a slightly less chance of knocking your head into a wall.

I also like Typescript’s upwards trajectory (some don’t consider it a real language):

Image source: GitHub

8. Dart

Dart is one of the fastest-growing languages in the industrial sphere.

Google’s contribution in the sphere of languages has significantly increased to compete with the increase in popularity of Microsoft’s Type Script. Dart has been highly adored by programmers around the world for its simplicity. It is surely one of the faster growing programming languages heading into 2022.

9. Assembly

Assembly Language is another surprisingly sought-after coding language. This low-level technology is back in vogue today spurred by the Internet of Things.

10. Matlab

Lots of engineers worldwide rely on MATLAB for a range of applications. Its application area spans both industry and academia, including deep learning and machine learning, control systems, computational biology, and others.

It is not on speed dial when it comes to data science. However, budding data scientists use it as a starting point in the field.

Short Conclusion

Current trends in programming languages show that there is a wide selection of top programming languages for any software development project although consensus also exists on which languages are the most loved and which are the most trending in new projects by BigTech companies.

In this listicle I took out major programming languages that are already very dominant including Python, Java, Java-Script, and so forth to highlight the newcomers.

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Finally I found this YouTube was relevant to our debate, although it talks mostly about the very mainstream programming languages dominant today.

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