Best Programming Language to Learn in 2016
I want to know the best programming language to learn in 2016.
I know it won’t be
Objective C, which was replaced by
Swift in 2014 or
2015.
Should I learn Swift?
If you want to program for
Apple, sure.
I don’t want to just program for Apple.
Learn
HTML5.
HTML is the basic language anyone should know to do anything with websites.
HTML5 is a little more advanced, with cascading style sheets, embedded video that replaces
Adobe Flash and map and sketch elements.
So I spend another long weekend learning the new version.
The other thing you need to learn is JavaScript, since HTML5 standards call for that to create interactive scripts.
I know you can embed JavaScript in the HTML5 pages so it can run small programs without having to access a server once the webpage has loaded.
And you can still use it to call scripts in other languages on the server like
PHP and
Python.
PHP is one of the dominant server-side languages.
So is Python, and Python developers made 25K more per year than PHP developers in 2014.
Okay,
I’ll admit all the dollar signs are helping make that a good option.
R is well reimbursed too.
However, it is used in bioinformatics and big data applications, so you almost have to have a math degree or doctorate in life sciences to use it.
Then we’re back to Python, since its developers are in the top ten best paid programmers’ lists as well as top ten technology industry standards.
What else could I make a decent living at?
C++.
That’s older than
I am.
C is older than you are, but C++ is big in the gaming industry.
You’re right; gamers spend more on games than anyone altogether pays for movies, theme parks and a couple other entertainment categories.
You do risk getting burned out on tight schedules to get a game out in time, but you’re well paid for it.
That’s a given in any programming job unless it is using non-coding apps to put out little kids’ games.
Jobs Tractor says there’s a lot of demand for C# programmers, and a decent pay rate.
Given the F# and other versions of the dot-net architecture, there are newer things that may replace it later.
If you want to be well paid and not work on stuff that could be done by kids learning JavaScript instead of
French in middle school, learn
SQL.
The database language?
The sheer challenge of it guarantees you’re well paid, and that even the people who want the reports will want someone else to do it.