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New programming language rankings: Python now as popular as Java, as TypeScript climbs
Python is tying with Java as the second most popular programming language behind JavaScript, according to developer analyst RedMonk's latest ranking.
The second spot for Python is the highest position it's ever attained in RedMonk's list of top programming languages, which is based on an analysis of GitHub and Stack Overflow data. Historically, Python has been steady in fourth position but it rose to third spot three years ago in RedMonk's tables.
[...] Microsoft-maintained TypeScript for large-scale JavaScript projects has also risen one place to ninth position along with C. TypeScript could have slipped back to 15th but it continues to win developers because of its "ability to intermingle with a large existing codebase in JavaScript" and its ability to make code safer, according to O'Grady.
Rust is a popular language among developers who discuss technical challenges on StackOverflow, but it hasn't moved from its spot at 21. As O'Grady notes, Rust has the potential for core infrastructure projects but, like Google-created Go, it seems to be stuck on its current ranking. Go meanwhile has risen one place to 14.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by sgleysti on Wednesday March 04 2020, @01:41PM (4 children)
Granting that historical accident does not equate to rationality, it's the only language available in most (and all major) web browsers.
Compiler availability and other features of the language. I've done work in embedded programming, and the options were Assembler, C, and C++, with management ruling out the first of these. I don't think a compiler exists for any other language that targets the particular microcontroller we were developing against.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday March 04 2020, @04:15PM
<no-sarcasm>
I find that quite amusing. I remember the 1970s wars over Assembler versus Compiled high level languages (like C ironically). Of course the high level languages won out. Because: developer productivity. Yet ironically it is the C advocates that poo poo and denounce any language even more high level than C.
The Assembler-only crowd argued how much more efficient assembled code was. And how obviously poor compiler generated code was. (And this is back when most compilers were Pessimizing compilers -- generating code worse than the obvious translation.) Yet high level languages won.
</no-sarcasm>
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 04 2020, @04:51PM (2 children)
"Assembler" is not the name of a language. Do you call C "compiler"? I mock anyone who calls Assembly Language "Assembler."
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday March 04 2020, @05:02PM (1 child)
Assembler is shorter to write. Therefore it must be more optimized?!? But you are right. It is the name of a tool, not a language.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 05 2020, @12:17AM
Assembler is shorter by precisely -1 characters than the correct word.