Hundreds of programming languages appear on the market every year. Some programming languages are branded by tech corporations, others supplement existing languages, and still others are created for experimental purposes. Swift, Kotlin, Go, and Rust have become widespread in the past 10 years, but other newcomers have potential as well.
If some new programming languages become widely popular, and you will be one of the first who knows them, it will give you tremendous value on the market as a specialist. Moreover, new programming languages are often better in some ways than the basic ones, giving you an advantage in solving non-standard problems.
We compiled a guide to new programming languages and we want to figure out why to study them at all.
Why Learn New Programming Languages?
There are more than 700 programming languages in the world, and the list is constantly growing. Most IT teams in large companies and startups use several languages and frameworks simultaneously. Developers, too, are increasingly becoming multilingual, mastering two to five programming languages. They actively test new technologies. Why this is needed:
New tools and frameworks pump up skills and help you look at trivial tasks in new ways. Even if you don't apply new programming languages to your work, knowing them will help you find out-of-the-box coding solutions.
There's a chance to become in demand before the programming language becomes mainstream. While everyone else is learning the basics, you'll already be at an advanced level.
When working on a complex project, it will be easier for you to choose the right programming language and framework. By understanding the specifics of different programming languages, you can easily determine which tool will solve the problem more efficiently.
First of all, experienced developers are learning new programming languages for their own development. It allows them to keep their fingers on the pulse. They say it is useful to master a "hype" programming language, even if it is soon forgotten.
There have been quite a few cases where there has been a surge in demand for unpopular languages. For example, in 2020 in the U.S., the number of vacancies for COBOL programmers increased. Another example - Ruby. A few years ago, this language was on everyone's lips, and then its popularity waned. But this programming language has managed to find its niche, so engineers are still in demand and there are plenty of jobs in the market.
10 New Programming Languages with a Bright Future
Behind any unpopular language is an idea, which is often different from what we are used to. By mastering a new programming language, you broaden your horizons and develop technical thinking. Knowing the specifics of the programming languages will help you optimally build the architecture of the project and choose the right tool.
1. Golang
Google’s Go (Golang) is at the top of the list of programming languages that both existing developers and beginners want to learn. It can be compared to a Swiss knife in development: Go is quite simple and versatile, and it can be used for a whole range of tasks - from API creation to DevOps tools. The features of Golang are:
Static typing
Low memory requirements
Cool standard library
Default speed
Simplicity of parallel computing
It's in demand by large companies that work with big data. Companies competing for Go-developers include Google, Dropbox, SoundCloud, Ozon, Yandex, and Twilio. That's why mastering Go regularly ranks among the top of the highest-paying skills.
2. Rust
Rust combines several advantages. It is as powerful and as efficient as C++, but at the same time, it is as safe as Java. Another advantage is the large community of developers who are constantly releasing new tools and add-ons. Technology giants also express support for Rust - Facebook, Amazon Web Services, Google, Huawei, Microsoft, and Mozilla have already joined the Rust Foundation community.
Not many people used it before because the language was considered unstable. But in the last year, a lot has changed: Rust was transferred from Mozilla to a separate fund and received investment. This was a big push in the development of the programming language. Now it is stable and convenient, helps avoid bugs that are possible in C/C++, and does not allow memory leaks. This is important for the development of community portals as well as Embedded/IoT products. Who would buy a clock or a temperature sensor which has to be reloaded once a day?
Today many developers are curiously following the news about the inclusion of Rust as a second language in the Linux kernel. A second patch is already being discussed, which means that the community, companies, and the industry as a whole are interested in Rust. If 38.5% of the servers on the Internet already run on Linux and Rust is included, Rust will become popular at an unimaginable rate.
3. Kotlin
Kotlin is a programming language developed by JetBrains, which quickly gained popularity and joined the ranks of Java. It is widely used in mobile development - Kotlin was used to create Trello, Evernote, and Coursera apps for Android. And Google named Kotlin a priority programming language in 2019. The main advantages are brevity and security. It is superior to Java in many ways and is also considered a simpler language than its main competitor Scala.
4. Red
Red was conceived as a universal language for full-stack development, which would not depend on other tools and toolchains. The closest Red counterpart is REBOL, launched in 1997. Unlike many peers, Red allows you to write both high-level and low-level code quickly and efficiently. At the same time, it has a fairly simple syntax. Red language is not yet widely popular because many people think it is suspiciously good, and its supporters are called a "little programming sect".
It is worth experimenting with Red to better trace the continuity of programming languages and check whether the development can be as universal as its creators say. The future of this programming language on the market is still in question. For example, the Red blog has not been updated for almost a year, and new features have not appeared for several months.
5. Elm
It is a functional language suitable for complex user interfaces. It is fast and compilable in JavaScript. Among its peers, it stands out due to its lack of runtime exceptions and limited type system (no problems with invalid data types thanks to this). Another big plus of Elm is its compiler which gives detailed error messages and fixes. Elm is usually used to create web services, so it is most often used by front-end developers.
6. Julia
This high-level and high-performance programming language was developed specifically for research and analytics. More than 1,500 universities already use it, and the Climate Modeling Alliance (CliMA) has chosen Julia as its primary language. In the field of statistical and mathematical calculations, Julia is not inferior to R and Matlab, but it is easier to learn and work with. Other pluses of this programming language include fast code compilation, high-performance parallel execution, an extensive math library, and support for cloud computing. Python creator Guido van Rossum considers Julia a niche language that, nevertheless, surpasses its peers in code optimization.
7. Elixir
It is a functional, dynamic, compiled general-purpose language running on an Erlang virtual machine that gives it several advantages. The main advantages of Elixir are fault tolerance, metaprogramming capability, multitasking, and high performance. Both fintech companies and e-commerce websites, as well as social networks like Pinterest and Discord, use Elixir. Elixir-based solutions are easy to scale, and the language itself is quite simple. In its short history, the language has managed to acquire several frameworks, so it can already be used for full-stack development.
8. Crystal
This programming language is fast as C, as handy as Ruby, but more flexible than JavaScript. This is how Crystal's creators describe it. It is used for small enterprise products, blockchain projects, and game development. Another plus is a growing community that believes Crystal can completely replace Ruby. This point of view is supported by a growing number of Crystal compatible tools. For example, the Lucky and Kemal frameworks. As well as the new Mint programming language that was created especially for one-page applications.
9. R
The R programming language is the main competitor to Python for those involved in statistics and data analysis. It is used in the social and economic sciences to find cause and effect relationships, compare samples, and create visual reports and graphs. Scientists in the Department of Statistics at Oakland University developed this programming language. At first, it was an internal tool, but then they made it available to everyone.
This is an important point: R is designed by statisticians for statisticians. It already has popular statistical tests, methods of data analysis, and handy tools for graphing. These features are not present in all popular general-purpose languages. The interpreter and desktop environment can be installed in any modern operating system - MacOS, Linux, Windows.
R is steadily reclaiming its place under the sun: from 18th place in the TIOBE ranking in 2016, it rose to 12th place in January 2022.
10. Swift
Apple created the compiled language Swift for developers on iOS and macOS, but gradually it began to be applied to other operating systems including Android. Moreover, programmers can create their versions of the language and generally experiment with its features. For example, it is increasingly being used to develop games. Swift has a lot in common with C, C++, as well as Objective-C. In addition to all of the above, the language is fast, safe, and easy to use.
Which Programming Language Should a Beginner Choose?
Beginners usually start with Python, Java, C, C#, or Ruby, but you can choose to start with newer programming languages such as Go or Rust. If you are just starting, it does not matter what language to learn first. The main thing is to determine the direction: front-end, back-end, mobile development, Internet of Things, or something else. This way you will narrow down the list of languages to choose from.
If you analyze, Kotlin will be popular for a long time. It is already becoming a standard in web development, and developers are trying to adapt it to embedded devices. Swift will also be popular because so far it is one of the few development tools for Apple devices.
Once you have decided on the field, study the market. You need to understand what companies are using a particular development language and how much they are investing in it. For example, Google actively invests in Golang. Microsoft, AWS, and Facebook actively invest in Rust. Apple invests a lot in Swift. Kotlin is invested in by JetBrains. As you can see, these are mostly industry giants.
Take a look at the products written in these programming languages to see if the investments in language development will continue in the future. And one more point, it is easier to choose and learn programming languages with like-minded people. For example, it is possible to join a community. It will allow you to try your hand in almost any direction.
For those who are new to the backend, Golang is good. It's simple, with a low entry threshold that allows you to quickly move from learning to writing code. In mobile development, there are two main directions. It is better to choose Java or Dart for Android. For iOS, you should choose Swift.
But Erlang and Elixir are very specific languages. Erlang is typically used where you need to handle a large number of connections at once, such as streaming servers. Elixir is based on Erlang and is currently almost nonexistent in the enterprise.
However, there is nothing wrong with niche languages. A programming language is first of all a tool in the hands of an engineer. An engineer who has a good command of the basics (basic algorithms and data structures) can easily learn any new programming language. You can become a highly skilled narrow specialist in one area, or you can know several programming languages and see how things work at the intersection of technologies. The more you have the right tools in your hands, the broader your view and the better and more interesting product you can create.
About the Author
Amber Martin is an experienced freelance writer. She specializes in quality content related to marketing for the audience. When she is not writing, you can find her in the kitchen as she is an excellent cook.
Amber Martin
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