It is quite usual for you to take interest in learning any of the leading programming languages as during this Covid-19 lockdown you have plenty of time to invest in something meaningful and effective. But the question is where can you really begin? Well, there are hundreds of languages to choose from. But obviously, some languages stand out from the rest as leading technologies for present-day web, enterprise, and mobile applications. 

Let us list here some of the leading programming languages that you can learn during this Covid-19 lockdown. 

JavaScript

For any software, developer JavaScript appears to be the most common technology as it has been widely used for building software products of all types. JavaScript remained popular as a language among developers for nearly a decade now. JavaScript is lightweight, well interpreted, and crucial for front-end development tasks. The leading social media platforms and chat messaging apps use JavaScript as it provides an easy way to build interactive and career-focused web pages. 

JavaScript is preferred thanks to its compatibility with the leading browsers besides offering flexibility with the syntax. Though it is primarily a Front-end language, Java Script is also used by developers on the server-side through frameworks such as Node.js.

Python

Python is a really beginner-friendly, general-purpose, programming language that is used by developers to build user-optimized web solutions and applications. Python’s syntax is clear, it is intuitive and appears similar to the regular English language. Moreover, if you already know JavaScript, you can find a similar “object-based” subset here. 

Developers who are interested in making a great career in back-end development will find learning Python useful. Some leading backend frameworks like Django are written in python and this is why it is so easy to learn and loaded with features. Python repository also offers a wide variety of applications making it most versatile and powerful.

Swift

Swift is Apple’s programming language for developing iOS and macOS apps and over the years it has become really powerful. Just when it was first launched at the 2014 Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), it was pretty basic but with every subsequent update, the language continued to become more feature-Rich and robust. The addition of crucial features such as module stability made Swift so robust and indomitable an option for iOS apps. 

Any would-be or aspiring developer whose future focus touches on mobile apps will find Swift as a must-learn language. As Objective-C begins to fade away except for tasks involving legacy code, Swift became the principal language for ios and Mac platforms. In case you want to know where you need to begin, you can always find helpful tutorials to start with the Swift language. 

Kotlin

Google recognized Kotlin as the latest and most useful alternative to Java for Android development. A bounty of articles since then has been written on how Kotilingeshwara is going to lead the mobile app development scene for Android developers. Though in the ranking of various programming languages that haven’t yet been reflected, Kotilingeshwara continues to hold pride of place with some crucial improvements over Java for the Android projects. 

Kotlin 1.3 version features some crucial attributes such as coroutines, great Java interoperability, inline classes, etc. in the years to come, it is likely to be the key language for Android projects. No wonder, this is the right time to learn Kotlin. 

Java

Java has been there as the most popular programming language for close to two decades and it is still popular because of its unique “write once, run everywhere” approach. Java has been the most dominant programming language for the last 20 years and has seen all twists and turns in the programming world. Java is a language that is 99% object-oriented and offers great performance just because java objects don’t offer any reference to external data. It is easier than C++ as Java uses automatic memory allocation and garbage collection.

Java is truly cross-platform or platform-independent language and this allows coding anywhere and across all devices with the language.  Java can easily be compiled into low-level machine code and it also allows executing the code on any platform using platform-independent Java Virtual Machine. 

Java is the basis of the Android operating system and it is used by a whopping 90% fortune 500 companies for building their back-end applications. With so much power, features, performance attributes, and a plethora of business applications that are built with Java, it still stays as a top programming language option for beginner learners. 

Ruby

Ruby is an open-source, dynamic language that is particularly known for simplicity and productivity. Created way back in mid-1990 in Japan, the primary objective of Ruby was to simplify the programming environment and make way for more fun.

Ruby further becomes popular through the emergence of Ruby on Rails full-stack web development framework. One of the core advantages of Ruby is that it allows dynamic typing. Moreover, as a high-level language, it resembles the English language too much and that lowers the learning curve for beginners. To be precise, by using Ruby one can develop any application with fewer lines of code. 

SQL

SQL, which is the abbreviation of Structured Query Language, is a programming language for database operation. It allows data storage, data manipulation, and data retrieving through a relational database. SQL as a database language is known for keeping data precise and secure besides taking care of the integrity of databases irrespective of the size.

SQL database language is used widely across web frameworks and database applications. Good command of this language helps you to do better with data exploration and effective decision making. For career aspirants in database management, it is advisable to learn C or C++ as well. Check out Dataquest to start learning SQL and gain the skills you need.

Conclusion

Now the big question is when the software industry continues to change with every subsequent version release, which language to settle within the beginning. Well, this is a challenging question to answer and the perfect reply depends upon so many factors including your existing skills, focus area, and ambition. The above-mentioned options at least stood above the competition for too long a time.
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Author Bio: Chirag Mudsa is the CEO of leading Angular Development Company, CMARIX TechnoLabs Pvt. Ltd. He is a goal-driven tech evangelist for a long time of 17 years, specializing in web and mobile development domains. His innovative spirit, strong leadership skills, and a profound commitment to organizational growth have given him a key leading position in the industry.