Types of programming languages: Characteristics and differences

What is a programming language?

A programming language is a set of rules and symbols that allow a programmer to write instructions for a computer to carry out specific tasks. These instructions are then translated into a language that the computer understands, known as machine language, so that it can execute the program.

Programming languages can vary in complexity and approach, and are used in a wide range of applications, from software development for various functions, website creation and data analysis.

In more colloquial language, a programming language is the language we use to talk to computers and tell them what we want them to do. Just as we talk to friends in English or Spanish, programmers use languages like Python and languages like Python Java or JavaScript to communicate with computers and create programs, applications and web pages. Each language has its own rules and ways of expressing itself, but they all serve to instruct the computer how to perform specific tasks.

Just as anyone can learn a language other than their own, they can also learn a programming language. This requires no special skills other than motivation and effort.

Importance of programming languages in today’s world

It seems quite obvious that nowadays we live surrounded by technological applications, both on our computers and mobile devices. These applications make our professional and personal lives easier, more efficient and productive. To develop and build these applications we need to “program” them and for that we need people who know how to use programming languages.

It has been many years since the first computers appeared in the 1950s, and a few years less since desktop computers appeared. The constant use of computers in modern life requires a large number of programmers. And this has only just begun.

Recently, with the emergence of smartphones and smartphones and tablets and all the app content available to us, computer programming is increasingly the equivalent of being literate for generations born and living in the 20th century. Computer programming, software engineering, data analysis and Artificial Intelligence, are and will be great sources of high-skilled and well-paid employment. Learning to program is a guarantee of a successful career.

Programming Languages for Web and Mobile Application Development

A web/mobile application always has a two-part architecture. The front-end, the part that runs on the mobile device and interacts with the user. And the back-end, the part that runs on the enterprise server and executes the business rules.

Most commonly used front-end programming languages

  • HTML (HyperText Markup Language): It is not a programming language per se, but a markup language used to structure the content of web pages.
  • CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): Together with HTML, CSS is used to style and design web pages, controlling aspects such as color, typography, design and layout of elements.
  • JavaScript: A programming language used to make web pages interactive and dynamic. With JavaScript, you can create visual effects, animations, validate forms, interact with the user and much more.

In addition to these three main languages, so-called JavaScript frameworks are used. A JavaScript framework is a collection of predefined tools, libraries and conventions that provide a structure to simplify and accelerate the development of web or mobile applications using JavaScript.

JavaScript frameworks are useful because they help developers avoid having to write code from scratch for each application, which saves time and reduces errors.

The main frameworks in use today are, in order of seniority:

  • AngularJS / Angular: AngularJS is a framework developed by Google that facilitates the creation of single-page web applications (SPA) by extending HTML with directives and data binding.
  • React.js: Developed by Facebook, React.js is an open source JavaScript library used to build interactive and reactive user interfaces. It is based on the concept of reusable components that represent specific parts of the user interface.
  • Vue.js: Vue.js is a progressive JavaScript framework used to build interactive, single-page user interfaces. It is known for its smooth learning curve and flexibility, making it popular with developers looking for a lighter alternative to Angular or React.

Most commonly used programming languages for the back-end

  • JavaScript (MERN): MERN stands for Mongo.db, Express, React and Node.js. A set of tools that enable JavaScript to run on the server and allows developers to use a single programming language on both the frontend and backend.
  • Java: Java is a robust programming language widely used in enterprise development. It is known for its portability and strong type system, which makes it ideal for scalable and robust applications. Large corporations that process millions of transactions use Java on the back end as a priority.

Less widespread but also widely used are the following languages:

  • PHP: PHP is widely used in web development, especially for creating CMS (Content Management System) based applications such as WordPress, Drupal and Joomla. Although it has lost some popularity in recent years, it is still a solid choice for many web applications.
  • Python: Python is known for its readability and ease of learning. It is used in a variety of applications, from web development to data analysis, artificial intelligence and system automation.
  • Ruby: Ruby, along with its popular Ruby on Rails framework, is known for its focus on productivity and code elegance. It is used by many developers to create web applications quickly and efficiently in the early stages of a project.
  • C#: is a programming language developed by Microsoft and is commonly used in enterprise and desktop application development, as well as in game development using the Unity framework.

Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Languages

Some of the most common programming languages in this field include:

  • Python: Apart from its use as a back-end language, Python is one of the most popular languages in data science due to its simple and readable syntax, its wide variety of specialized libraries (such as NumPy, pandas, Matplotlib, seaborn, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, among others) and its large user community.
  • R: R is a language specially designed for statistical analysis and data visualization. It is very popular among statisticians and data analysts because of its wide variety of specialized packages for statistical analysis, graphics and predictive modeling.
  • SQL: Although technically not a programming language in the same sense as Python or R, SQL (Structured Query Language) is essential in the field of data science for working with relational databases and performing queries to extract, manipulate and analyze data.

Video Game Development Languages

In the development of videogames a combination of the languages presented above is used, plus some other languages such as:

  • C++: It is one of the most popular languages in video game development due to its performance and low-level control. It is used for game engine development, such as Unreal Engine and Unity, as well as for systems, graphics and physics programming in AAA games.
  • C#: It is widely used in video game development thanks to its integration with popular engines such as Unity. C# is used for programming game logic, player interaction, artificial intelligence and other high-level functions in games.
  • HLSL/GLSL: These are not programming languages in the traditional sense, but shader languages used to program graphics hardware in shaders, which are used for real-time graphics processing in games.

Current trends in programming languages

Humans have generated about 8945 different programming languages. There are more programming languages than the number of human languages spoken in the world, which is around 7,100.

The technological evolution is enormous and new languages are constantly being created while others become obsolete. The reasons for innovation in the creation of programming languages are the following:

  • Security and reliability: New programming languages often focus on improving software security and reliability. This may include features such as more secure data types, more robust error handling systems, and built-in tools to avoid common security vulnerabilities.
  • Concurrency and parallelism: With the rise of distributed systems and parallel computing, new programming languages are often designed with features that make it easier to write concurrent and parallel code. This can include safer and easier-to-use concurrency models, as well as tools to detect and avoid problems such as race conditions and deadlocks.
  • Functional and data-oriented programming: Modern programming languages often adopt functional and data-oriented programming concepts, which focus on immutable data processing and function composition. This can facilitate writing more modular, maintainable and scalable code, especially in applications that handle large volumes of data.
  • Support for artificial intelligence and machine learning: With the explosive growth in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning, new programming languages often include specific features to facilitate the development of machine learning models and data manipulation. This can include built-in libraries for machine learning algorithms, as well as tools for data visualization and preparation.
  • Simplicity and readability: Many new programming languages are designed with a focus on code simplicity and readability. This may include features such as clear and concise syntax, intuitive semantics, and tools for automatic detection and correction of code style errors.

How to start my career as a web application developer or data analyst?

If you want to start programming to develop a professional career in the field of software engineering or data science, you need to know which programs are the most demanded in the market. This table, with data from 2022, presents the ranking of the most demanded types of programming languages. This ranking remains stable from year to year, with only slight variations. The figures show the job offers published between September and December 2022, in Spain, on the most important platforms.

  • Java. 29,000€.
  • JavaScript. 24,000€.
  • Python. 19,000€
  • C# 18,000€

What programming languages will I learn at Ubiqum?

In our programs of Full stack web development you will learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, MERN and Java. While in the Data Analysis courses you will learn Python, R and SQL

If you want to know more about our programs visit:

Data Analytics and Machine Learning

Full Stack web and Mobile development

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