Slashdot Mirror
C Isn't The Most Popular Programming Language, JavaScript Is (networkworld.com)
An anonymous reader quotes Network World:
U.K.-based technology analyst firm RedMonk just released the latest version of its biannual rankings of programming languages, and once again JavaScript tops the list, followed by Java and PHP. Those are same three languages that topped RedMonk's list in January. In fact, the entire top 10 remains the same as it was it was six months ago...
Python ranked #4 on RedMonk's list, while the survey found a three-way tie for fifth place between Ruby, C#, and C++, with C coming in at #9 (ranking just below CSS). Network World argues that while change comes slowly, "if you go back deeper into RedMonk's rankings, you can see slow, ongoing ascents from languages such as Go, Swift and even TypeScript."
Interestingly, an earlier ranking by the IEEE declared C to be the top programming language of 2016, followed by Java, Python, C++, and R. But RedMonk's methodology involves studying the prevalence of each language on both Stack Overflow and GitHub, a correlation which "we believe to be predictive of future use, hence their value."
Python ranked #4 on RedMonk's list, while the survey found a three-way tie for fifth place between Ruby, C#, and C++, with C coming in at #9 (ranking just below CSS). Network World argues that while change comes slowly, "if you go back deeper into RedMonk's rankings, you can see slow, ongoing ascents from languages such as Go, Swift and even TypeScript."
Interestingly, an earlier ranking by the IEEE declared C to be the top programming language of 2016, followed by Java, Python, C++, and R. But RedMonk's methodology involves studying the prevalence of each language on both Stack Overflow and GitHub, a correlation which "we believe to be predictive of future use, hence their value."
CSS is hardly a programming language. Thus, RedMonk can be safely ignored.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
Is this a joke??? JavaScript is a SCRIPTING Language, not a PROGRAMMING language.
But RedMonk's methodology involves studying the prevalence of each language on both Stack Overflow and GitHub, a correlation which "we believe to be predictive of future use, hence their value.
I know smartphones are all the rage, but there are tonnes of old school embedded devices out there and tonnes more still being developed. By old school I mean run on some embedded-type CPU or ASIC, run some custom OS, and only have a C compiler available (probably the one written by the team that bootstrapped development of the initial version of the device).
I doubt that developers working on those devices regularly post their code to GitHub and fairly positive that not many of them would post to StackOverflow asking how to make a flubord close with a genie effect on Ubuntu using clang when there is a PS/2 mouse connected.
A methodology that relies on GH and SO posts is likely to be strongly biased toward new web-based and open source development.
I certainly write some JavaScript. But it doesn't mean I like it, or even that I chose to. I just don't have the choice. Sure, I can (and do) use TypeScript or CoffeeScript, but they all suck and I would choose any type-safe language over them if I could. JavaScript is unfortunately the only language that the browsers support. I really hope that WebAssembly becomes a real, usable thing soon, and that better type-safe languages for the browser emerge. Or even better: that existing languages, like Kotlin, start targetting it and that a saner ecosystem emerges around it. I'm sick of JavaScript, and even more of its awful ecosystem (NPM, etc.)
Javascript, OK. PHP yes, and Java Yes. How the hell is CSS a programming language?? Is a conf file a language? If writing a document (like HTML) is a language, then Excel is probably the most popular, followed by MS Word.
Clearly, IEEE has more experience and is more believable. (And yes, I am an IEEE member, but that does not really biais me.) The methodogy used by IEEE spectrum is public [1]. And it also takes stack overflow and git hub as indices. Though that is not the ONLY thing it uses.
There is a saying in data mining: I'd rather have more data than a better algorithm.
[1] http://spectrum.ieee.org/ns/IE...
Programming languages are all general-purpose in some important senses, since they're all Turing Complete, but in practice they tend to have rather well-defined contexts and purposes. In a lot of ways I think asking "Which is the most popular programming language?" is a lot like asking "Which is the most popular hand tool?". The question doesn't make a lot of sense without some context.
Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
Yet another useless programming language ranking. First they do not define what most popular means. The text suggests it means the most used language. In embedded systems it is C and C++. As embedded systems are a super widespread typenof system a lot of programmers are required. Hence it is very popular there. In contrast JS is only relevant for UI and lately small nodejs services. Most stuff in the internet runs different engines. Counting projects on github only shows the number of free or at least fancy projects , but no embedded company or other larger SW company is storing their intellectual property in the US and with an external service.
I wonder why.
thegodmovie.com - watch it
it's a case of misleading headlines (yeah, shocking)
as others have pointed out, the authors don't make any claim that their list represents the 'most popular languages', just that those languages enjoy particularly high visibility on two specific platforms - github and stack overflow.
you have a virtually infinite number of ways to count "popularity", some more useful than others, but each of them inevitably somewhat arbitrary.
last time I checked, oracle claimed java to be the world's most popular language, and by the way they measure it, they must be right.
heck, you could instead count each web pageview with one line of js as instance of 'program execution', count the big number and have a different winner. don't take it too seriously.
"Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong." (Oscar Wilde)
Javascript is a "programming language"?
Yes, it is.
So when do we see an OS written in Javascript controlling all aspects of a pc's motherboard, processor etc?
Irrelevant to whether something is a programming language or not.
Some fool is bound to write a virtualization system in Javascript one of these days. Then they can implement an operating system written in Javascript on their virtualization system.
Is there a hardware Javascript engine?
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
"Crayola's methodology involves studying the prevalence of each art type on both refrigerator doors and classroom windows, a correlation which "we believe to be predictive of future use, hence their value."
Some fool is bound to write a virtualization system in Javascript one of these days.....
A determined fellow did (well nearly, it's a PC emulator in JS - that runs Linux)
Python ranked #4 on RedMonk's list, while the survey found a three-way tie for fifth place between Ruby, C#, and C++,
Their methodology according to the link is to scan github and sourceforge and determine what frequency those projects use what languages. This is absolutely asinine, as it completely precludes all closed source work. Most embedded systems, drivers, and other low level work is not going to be open source, as it is work for hire. This list can best be described as the ranking of the popularity of languages for peoples pet projects, and or what languages they use when not getting paid. I will also say that given the choice between a website with only a dozen years of existence vs IEEE with almost 100 years of existence with an interest in all things electronic and computing, I will go with IEEE every time. Sorry RedMonk, its just hard to take you seriously when you are clearly some guys blog, and you're competing with an international professional organization with membership measured in the millions and decades of exceptional science and technology reporting.
I wish I had a good sig, but all the good ones are copyrighted
JavaScript is the only class less, prototype based programming language in wide use.
// assuming length, src and dst are arrays declared somewhere // semicolon optional
So it is an extremely powerful language with arguable a bit painful syntax (to exploit those features).
On the other hand, as long as you don't really want to dig deep into it, it is just like C without types.
for (/* int */ i=0; i < length; i++) {
dst[i] = src[i];
}
90% of JavaScript just looks like C, so no idea why people hate it.
OH!! You mean the integration in the browser? Yeah ... never did any browser side JS, and likely never will.
You know, in JS you can "call" a function just like in C. ... an instance of the "class" the function is describing, with nested functions (unlike C ;D ) as methods.
But you can also "new" it, and have an object
Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
It would be inefficient as hell of course ...
Most modern JavaScript engines JIT compile to extremely efficient machine code.
It is very close to C and other "close to the machine" languages.
Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
I've been looking to return to programming after years of doing firmware development, doing some IT work since, and now going back to school to update my skills. In order to see what I should focus on in school I've been looking at what languages are seen most often on job postings. In no particular order I see JavaScript, SQL, PHP, Python, and Perl at the top of my list. There's some demand for C++, C#, and Ruby. I'll see some demand for things like R, Matlab, and some statistical tools, but those seem to be jobs at the local university which should not be a surprise.
What I've figured out is that there is demand for people that can program web based applications. This means JavaScript and its various libraries, PHP, Python, and perhaps some Java and C++. If we are stretching the programming languages a bit then we get into things like HTML, XML, CSS, and other markup languages. Looking at the programming course I have this fall I see it will be taught using Java, Ruby, or Scala. I don't recall even seeing Scala until today so this could be interesting.
I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
or changed a method signature in one place but not the passed in objects in all usages
Learn to use an IDE?
Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
JavaScript is a lot like Hillary- it's been around for decades, nobody is terribly impressed by it, everyone is tired of it, it's weakly typed, it's just barely tolerable, it's only around because of historical accidents in the nineties, and although it has its diehard fans, most people just grumble with it and put up with it. But it will continue to prevail for years because at this point there simply is no viable alternative.