22 Best Languages For Web Development With Its Features [2024]
Nazneen Ahmad
Posted On: February 22, 2024
21389 Views
33 Min Read
Web development has evolved from a purely technical to a dynamic and rapidly expanding domain. This evolution highlights the importance of understanding programming languages used in web development, such as JavaScript and Python. These languages serve as a bridge between human-readable code and machine-executable instructions. However, when developing any software application, one must carefully select the best language for web development that aligns with project needs.
As per the 2024 report from Statista, over 28.7 billion developers are actively involved in web development. It underscores the importance of delving deeper into various programming languages. With a penalty of programming languages available for web development, it becomes evident that mastering all of them is quite a challenge.
To guide you with this, we have listed some of the best languages for web development in 2024. We will highlight and give an overview of the best programming languages, eventually giving you excellent knowledge. Based on your preference and software project, you can easily choose which programming language to learn and master.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Understanding Programming Language
Programming languages have transformed web development from a technical task of markup and coding into a creative pursuit. They enable developers to bring their software-related ideas to life.
They are translators that convert developers’ instructions into a form computers can understand. These programming languages have organized rules and formats to be followed for the code to function correctly. While some newcomers may confuse programming languages with coding languages, they are distinct concepts.
It encompasses formal systems for computer communication, enabling developers to write code that computers can understand. Coding languages are more informal and refer to the specific languages used for writing code. It instructs computers to perform particular tasks by writing instructions in programming languages.
Programming languages have various vital features, which include the following:
- Syntax: The rules and structure employed for code composition in a programming language.
- Data Types: The categories of values a program accommodates, such as numbers, strings, and booleans.
- Variables: Designated memory locations capable of storing values.
- Operators: Symbols run operations on values like addition, subtraction, and comparison.
- Control Structures: Statements finding the program’s flow, including if-else conditions, loops, and function calls.
- Libraries and Frameworks: Assemblages of pre-written code facilitating everyday tasks and expediting development.
- Paradigms: The programming style or philosophy applied in the language, like procedural, object-oriented, or functional.
Selecting the right programming language for web development can significantly impact development speed and the integration of essential features. When choosing a programming language, it’s crucial to consider other aspects, such as the size of its community, the availability of repositories for guidance, and how easy it is to get started. Additionally, ensure the programming language is open to integration with other testing frameworks. These criteria are crucial in software testing, ensuring that applications are functional and compatible across different devices, browsers, and operating systems.
When conducting automation testing, it is advisable to use suitable automation testing frameworks that provide a high level of code control and precise documentation and presentation of test results. Selecting an automation testing framework that allows the execution of test cases on both web and mobile applications is crucial. To achieve this, consider utilizing cloud-based testing platforms that support a wide range of browsers, devices, and platforms. One such platform is LambdaTest.
LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution cloud-based platform facilitating testing across large farms of over 3000+ browser and OS combinations. Its real device cloud infrastructure enables the execution of both manual and automated tests, providing faster deployment and scaling capabilities with mobile app and cross-browser testing.
Key Features of LambdaTest:
- Seamlessly execute Selenium test automation scripts across a dynamic Selenium Grid, covering various browsers and browser versions.
- Accelerate development cycles with automated visual regression testing.
- Evaluate native and hybrid web mobile applications effortlessly using real-device cloud and emulators and simulators for virtual mobile devices.
- Access a wide range of Windows and Mac operating systems, encompassing legacy and up-to-date browsers, offering diverse testing options.
- Explore the latest mobile browsing experiences by testing websites and web applications on cutting-edge Android and iOS mobile operating systems.
- Streamline testing procedures by moving away from in-house device labs, introducing unparalleled scalability to mobile app testing efforts.
To learn more about the LambdaTest platform, its various features and functionalities, and how to utilize it fully, watch this video tutorial and get detailed insights.
You can subscribe to the LambdaTest YouTube Channel and stay updated with the latest Selenium testing, Cypress testing, Playwright testing, and more tutorials.
Hence, you must be familiar with the best languages for web development. Continue to read below to learn more about this.
Best Programming Languages for Web Development
Below is a list of the best programming languages for web development in 2024.
JavaScript
JavaScript, one of the oldest and most versatile programming and scripting languages, is utilized by developers to shape web pages dynamically. Currently ranking at the top of the list of popular programming languages, it is widely considered one of the best languages for web development.
According to Statista, 63.6% of users rely on JavaScript. Initially, JavaScript was primarily used for web browser development, but its scope has significantly expanded. It is now used in server-side website deployments and non-browser applications, showcasing its wide-ranging utility and importance in modern development practices.
JavaScript is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It runs directly from its source code, eliminating the need for translation into machine code.
- It is primarily a front-end language for browsers; it can extend its usage on server-side scripting through Node.js, allowing the creation of scalable network applications.
- It is worth noting that JavaScript also finds applications in mobile app and desktop software development through specialized frameworks like React Native for mobile and Electron for desktop. These frameworks enable developers to use JavaScript to build cross-platform applications, further expanding its reach and versatility in modern web development trends and practices.
- It creates interactive webpage elements like clickable buttons, zoomable images, and on-page audio and video features.
- It plays a crucial role in coding the front end of websites like LinkedIn, Amazon, and Facebook.
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HTML/CSS
HTML: HyperText Markup Language is one of the most widely used markup programming languages globally. Unlike JavaScript and Python, HTML is relatively simple, making it easy for beginners to grasp. You can create a web page’s basic structure without extensive knowledge of HTML. It provides the foundation for adding content, images, links, and other elements that make up a webpage. With HTML, you can build static web applications. It is easy to learn and adapt to and is one of the best languages for web development.
HTML is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It uses tags to shape the elements of the web pages through labeling without engaging in logic processing, data manipulation, or input-output tasks typical of scripting languages.
- It allows you to build a functioning website without HTML; you can not have a website structure in place. If you right-click on any web page (excluding links) and choose View Page Source, you’ll find the HTML code for that site.
- It structures web pages and ensures proper formatting of text and images.
- It allows templates that give you an easy e-Bay to design a webpage.
- It offers sessionStorage and localStorage, which store data on the client side.
- It introduces a semantic structure to your web pages, defining unique tags like < header >, < footer >, < div >, , and more.
- It uses search engine optimization (SEO), one of its main features. When you search for content, search engines gather information from the World Wide Web, helped by HTML and its semantic structure.
CSS: Stands for Cascading Style Sheets, which is a styling language. It is a specific type of declarative language that describes the visual appearance of HTML code on the screen. If we compare it with HTML, it is more complex to use; however, it remains accessible to new programmers and holds particular significance in web design. As you familiarize yourself with its workings, there are opportunities to enhance your expertise through extension languages like SASS and its SCSS syntax.
CSS is the best styling sheet for designing web applications for several reasons:
- It applies styling to all HTML tags, including text in the document’s body, headings, paragraphs, and other textual elements.
- It extends its influence to styling table components, grid elements, and images.
- It simplifies the task for web developers aiming to create visually appealing websites across various devices, including mobile phones and tablets.
- It allows you to apply web pages with distinct styles.
- It allows you to achieve this independently of each web page’s HTML.
- It describes the appearance of a webpage, dictating elements such as colors, fonts, spacing, and more.
- Its developers depend on CSS to create user-friendly and responsive websites.
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Python
Python is an open-source language for developing the backend of websites, and it’s highly used for its simplicity and readability, making it one of the best languages for web development. It boasts extensive support modules and a vibrant community. It seamlessly integrates with web services, provides user-friendly data structures, and simplifies the creation of GUI-based desktop applications. Additionally, it is well-suited for developing automation test scripts using various testing frameworks like pytest, Robot Framework, etc, making it a versatile and powerful choice for a wide range of applications.
Python is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It adopts an object-oriented approach, breaking down your code into self-contained units. It also allows for easy transfer between projects, avoiding the need for redundant, from-scratch programming.
- Its dynamic typing capabilities allow developers to create complex websites effortlessly, requiring constant content changes.
- It is considered an efficient backend web development language; Python seamlessly integrates with other programming languages like C, C#, and Java.
- It is compatible with popular web development frameworks such as Django and Flask, which help develop web-based applications.
- It is also well known for its impact on creating 2D imaging and 3D animation packages, exemplified by Blender, Inkscape, and Autodesk.
- It is a go-to language for various domains, excelling in data analysis and manipulation, machine learning, designing desktop applications, server-side web development (often synonymous with Django), and AI.
SQL
SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a specialized programming language primarily used for managing data in web applications, similar to Python. Unlike other languages, SQL focuses on storing, extracting, and manipulating data within a database. It serves as the standard database query language, providing access to and manipulation of data without specifying the steps to achieve the desired results. While SQL may not be the best language for web development, it can undoubtedly be the best query language for web applications. It enables web applications to display and store data based on given inputs. For example, a form filled by a visitor can store the details in the database and retrieve or view them based on the query.
SQL is not directly known as one of the best languages for web development. However, it helps store and retrieve any data based on query requests. Some reasons to use SQL are:
- It is essential for programmers working on software applications with intensive databases like social media platforms, payment processors, and music libraries to learn SQL language.
- It finds widespread utilization across various applications and environments, spanning web applications, data warehouses, and e-commerce applications.
- It excels in performance, enhances data integrity, and simplifies data manipulation.
- It proves invaluable for those well-versed in programming and database concepts, but it may present challenges for beginners.
- It may exhibit slower performance, particularly with large databases, and may not be the most suitable choice for tasks involving complex mathematical calculations or machine learning.
TypeScript
Developed by Microsoft in 2012, TypeScript is one of the best languages for web development. It builds upon JavaScript’s standard functions by introducing a crucial typing feature that enhances code security, maintainability, and deployability. TypeScript adopts a strongly typed approach, allowing programmers to assign names and confine them to specific purposes in their code.
TypeScript is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It facilitates the early detection of common coding errors. It gives an alert before encountering runtime errors.
- It enables the utilization of all available languages and application programming interfaces (APIs) in JavaScript, offering a more detailed view of your code and reducing errors.
- It is commonly used in both user-side and server-side development, proving valuable for developing JavaScript-based projects with typing.
- It is proficient in speeding up development by identifying errors before executing the JavaScript code.
Java
Java is an advanced programming language based on classes and objects and doesn’t require much setup. Created by Oracle, it stands out for its ability to work on different platforms. Its “Write Once, Run Anywhere” feature allows code written in Java to run on various devices and operating systems without modification.
Many of Java’s syntax elements are derived from C++, making it familiar to developers from a C++ background. Additionally, it is supported across multiple testing frameworks available for unit testing, such as Selenium, JUnit, and TestNG, contributing to its robustness and reliability.
It is widely recognized as one of the top languages for test automation, providing powerful, versatile, and widely adopted tools due to its cross-platform compatibility and the availability of a vast library and framework ecosystem.
Java is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It is based on the Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) concept, providing a foundation for understanding class, object, inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism, and abstraction. This approach helps organize and structure code, making it easier to manage and maintain. If you’re getting ready for interviews, looking at oops Interview Questions can help you understand better.
- It shows robust security features by eliminating pointers like C and C++. Java’s security is complemented by components like a virtual machine, classloader, security manager, and bytecode verifier. These features help prevent common vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows and memory leaks.
- It excels in efficiently handling multiple threads, making it suitable for developing concurrent and scalable applications. Java’s built-in support for multithreading simplifies the development of applications that must perform various tasks simultaneously.
- It supports effective memory management through automatic garbage collection, which helps developers avoid memory leaks and other memory-related issues. Java’s portability and architecture neutrality allow it to run on various platforms without modification.
- It finds extensive use in web and application development thanks to its rich set of libraries, frameworks, and tools. Thanks to its scalability and performance, Java is widely used in big data processing.
- It is the backbone of several popular websites, including Google, Amazon, Twitter, and YouTube. Java’s versatility and performance make it a preferred choice for developing large-scale, high-traffic websites and applications.
- It may be considered a more intricate language due to its strict syntax and rules, but the demand for experienced developers with Java coding skills remains high. Java’s widespread adoption in the industry ensures that skilled Java developers are in constant demand for various projects and applications.
C#
Microsoft developed this programming language as a critical component of its .NET framework for building Windows applications. It is commonly used on the backend of web applications, especially for tasks that require high-performance processing. However, higher-level languages like Python and JavaScript are more widely used for developing high-quality websites or web applications.
Web developers also use C# for Android, iOS, and Linux platforms to develop games and mobile applications. Despite its popularity in specific domains, C# is used less commonly than some of the best web languages for web development, including Python and JavaScript.
C# can be used as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- Its syntax is similar to C-derived languages like C++, facilitating an easy transition for those familiar with the C family.
- It is widely used by mobile developers to build cross-platform apps on the Xamarin platform.
- It is suitable for Windows, Android, and iOS applications, leveraging the integrated development environment product, Microsoft Visual C++.
- It powers the backend of numerous popular websites, including Bing, Dell, Visual Studio, and MarketWatch.
- It incorporates a type-safety coding concept, thus preventing unsafe typecasting.
- It offers features like scalability, updates, robustness, and interoperability.
C++
This programming language is an enhanced version of C and is one of the oldest and most widely used programming languages. It is the foundation for other programming languages used in web development, such as C#, Java, and JavaScript. While some developers do not invest time in learning C independently, mastering C first provides valuable groundwork for C++ development. Learning C and C++ is highly valuable for web development, so familiarity with these languages is recommended. Since it’s an enhanced version of C, with significant implementation of classes and object concepts, this programming language is considered the best for web development.
C++ is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It is straightforward and user-friendly, making it easy to understand and learn, even for beginners.
- It follows the concept of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), which includes classes, members, polymorphism, inheritance, and encapsulation.
- It can only be run on the operating system developed and compiled, making it platform-dependent.
- It employs structured programming, converting complex programs into manageable pieces of code known as functions or modules.
- It can do low-level and high-level programming, making it a mid-level programming language.
- It has a rich library with built-in functions that save significant time during software development.
- It maintains pure CASE sensitivity, treating lowercase and uppercase characters in code differently.
- It supports dynamic memory allocation, allocating variables to the dynamical heap space at runtime.
- It supports dynamic memory allocation, but memory must be manually de-allocated when no longer needed.
- It does not have built-in support for multithreaded programs; the operating system must provide it.
- It is a fast language with relatively short compilation and execution times.
- It strictly adheres to syntax rules and regulations, following a skeleton to maintain code flow.
- It supports integration and extensibility, allowing large-scale applications to be created and newer features to be efficiently implemented.
PHP
This is yet another of the best languages for web development. It stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, which is a server scripting language. It is also one of the most popular programming languages leveraged to build websites and web applications. You should also know that 80% of most websites are built in this language. The most popular sites include Facebook and Yahoo.
PHP is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It creates scripts on web servers, generating personalized responses for each user’s request, providing an experience that goes beyond the uniform appearance of a website for everyone.
- It is widely used by developers for web servers, and it can also be used to script command-line functions.
- If you are proficient, it allows you to use high-level PHP coding for desktop application development and customized user interfaces. A prime example is WordPress, which uses PHP to structure and display diverse websites to visitors.
- It seamlessly supports significant databases like MySQL, ODBC, and more.
- It offers built-in error reporting constants such as E_ERROR and E_WARNING to efficiently report errors.
- It enhances versatility and supports third-party extensions like .NET, Apache, MySQL, and PHP.
- It shows platform independence, local server support, and more.
- It exhibits compatibility with various services such as LDAP, IMAP, SNMP, NNTP, POP3, HTTP, and COM (on Windows).
Go
The Golang programming language was developed by Google in 2007. It is mainly for APIs and web applications, making it one of the best languages for web development. It is one of the two languages by Google, the other being Dart, mainly used on servers but not within browsers like JavaScript and Java. Although it is less popular than JavaScript and Python, its popularity is increasing due to its simplicity and proficiency in handling multicore and networked systems and extensive codebases.
Go is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It is an open-source programming language for web development that allows meeting the needs of programmers involved in developing large and complex software applications.
- It is categorized as a low-level programming language suitable for engineers venturing to learn more about web development.
- It has much of the functionality of C and C++ without the challenging syntax and steep learning curve.
- It is used to build web servers, data pipelines, and machine-learning packages.
- It is commonly used by organizations like Google, Uber, Twitch, and Dropbox, among many others.
- It supports multithreading and can execute several processes concurrently.
- It incorporates excellent memory safety features like garbage collection for automatic memory management.
Rust
Mozilla developed Rust specifically to prioritize safety, concurrency, and practicality. While Rust’s learning curve may pose a challenge for beginners compared to other best programming languages for web development, the skills acquired will likely yield significant returns. With the language’s popularity on a steady rise, mastering Rust programming promises handsome rewards in the foreseeable future.
Rust is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It primarily focuses on C and C++, targeting low-level systems programming.
- It is a systems programming language with fast performance, preventing segfaults and ensuring thread safety.
- It is well known for its memory efficiency, utilizing minimal resources, and proving ideal for embedded systems.
- It is noteworthy that tech giants like Dropbox and Coursera have adopted Rust for internal operational purposes, recognizing its merits.
- It offers zero-cost abstractions for high-level programming coupled with low-level control.
- It provides concurrency primitives that facilitate the creation of efficient and safe concurrent code.
- It is supported by a built-in package manager (Cargo) and an extensive library ecosystem, simplifying development in Rust.
Kotlin
It is one of the most modern and best languages for web development, known for its simplicity and ease of learning, especially for those familiar with Java. Learning Kotlin can also help you develop Android and server-side applications. As per Kotlin, 60% of professional Android developers use it for web development, citing its benefits, such as increased productivity and code safety.
Kotlin is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It allows you to express your ideas more effectively, minimizing the need for extensive boilerplate code.
- It is completely compatible with the Java programming language, and this helps programmers integrate libraries, frameworks, and other Java resources.
- It includes type inference, which allows the compiler to automatically determine a variable’s type and thus remove the requirement for explicit type declarations.
- It has null safety measures achieved by segregating nullable and non-nullable types at the language level. It allows you to avoid NullPointerExceptions, reducing the likelihood of crashes in Android apps by 20%.
- It plays an important role in Android’s modern UI toolkit, providing a platform to easily create intuitive and powerful user interfaces.
- It is worth noting that most Google applications are built using the Kotlin programming language. Companies like Coursera, Pinterest, PostMates, and others are adopting Kotlin as their programming language.
- It coroutines simplify asynchronous programming, streamlining tasks such as network calls and database updates, enhancing simplicity and performance.
Ruby
Ruby is a user-friendly language, making it easy for beginners, and one of the best languages for web development. Its focus on clarity and simplicity makes it an absolute joy to work with, treating programmers as humans first and computers second. Ruby’s object-oriented approach allows for creating code that’s easy to organize and reuse. It accommodates a wide range of coding styles, allowing you to choose between procedural or functional programming, catering to all your coding needs.
Ruby on Rails (“RoR”) is one of the best Ruby frameworks for web development. It’s particularly accessible for non-programmers, featuring a substantial user community, numerous tutorials, and dedicated libraries that enhance coding efficiency.
Ruby is also popular among developers and testers for generating test scripts for automation testing. You can use various Ruby-based test automation frameworks like RSpec for web application testing.
Ruby is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It supports dynamic and duck typing, allowing any variable to hold any object due to its dynamic nature.
- It follows naming conventions for constants, variables, and method names.
- It supports single inheritance, missing methods, singleton methods, and more.
- It organizes code into simple building blocks called classes, simplifying the structure.
- It utilizes “garbage collection” to manage and clean up memory efficiently.
- It encapsulates instructions in blocks, enhancing the ease of calling upon them.
Dart
Dart is considered one of the best languages for web development. It is open-source, was developed by Google, and later approved by ECMA. It is used for server and browser applications. Dart introduces a new programming language accompanied by the Dart SDK featuring its compiler, the Dart VM. Additionally, it involves dart2js, a transpiler that generates JavaScript equivalents of Dart scripts.
Dart is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It primarily focuses on creating front-end user interfaces for web and mobile apps, making it a valuable asset in application development.
- It is compiled into native machine code for developing mobile applications. Inspired by programming languages like Java, JavaScript, and C#, Dart is strongly typed.
- It is a compiled language that doesn’t allow direct code execution. Instead, the compiler analyzes and transforms it into machine code.
- It supports common programming language concepts such as classes, interfaces, and functions, setting it apart from other languages.
- Notably, it doesn’t support arrays directly; instead, it uses collections to replicate data structures like arrays, generics, and optional typing.
Swift
Swift is an open-source programming language designed for modern app developers, especially for developing software applications for Apple platforms. It prioritizes power, speed, and safety. Swift is the preferred language for developing applications on Apple platforms. It gradually replaces Apple’s older Objective-C code while maintaining compatibility for Objective-C developers. Swift is the best choice to learn and implement in building mobile apps if you want to develop software applications for Apple platforms.
Swift is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It needs only a few coding skills compared to other programming languages, making it accessible to a broader range of developers.
- It is compatible with IBM Swift Sandbox, and IBM Bluemix adds to its versatility.
- It has advanced animation control that allows the creation of multiple animation tracks or sequences through highly advanced technologies, one of its most impressive features.
- It adds elements like VStack, HStack, and more for a natural and consistent layout design.
- It has built-in error handling, enhancing its overall robustness.
- It simplifies memory-related tasks using Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) for automatic memory management.
- It extends support for UI testing, accessibility testing, and localization testing, ensuring comprehensive testing capabilities.
R
R is an open-source programming language that is a distinct version of the statistical programming language (S). It means many codes written initially for S can seamlessly operate on R without requiring modifications. While R has a moderate learning curve, it may not be as beginner-friendly as other languages. However, it is still considered one of the best languages for web development, especially for statistical analysis and data visualization.
R programming language is one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It plays a crucial role in statistical processing, including tasks such as linear and nonlinear modeling, calculation, testing, visualization, and analysis.
- It can interface with various databases and handle structured and unstructured data.
- It enhances an extensive array of statistical and graphical methods.
- It comes with packages and libraries that provide diverse data analysis tasks.
- It provides an interactive and dynamic data exploration and modeling environment.
- Its support for data manipulation and transformation contributes to its versatility.
- It ensures reproducibility by using scripts for a systematic approach.
- It integrates with other programming languages, such as C++, Python, and Java, broadening its applicability.
MATLAB
It is a proprietary programming language owned by MathWorks and mainly used by scientists and engineers. Using this language, you can develop machine learning and deep learning applications. It is not typically designed to be one of the best languages for web development, but it allows you to analyze data, devise algorithms, process images, and validate research findings.
MATLAB can be considered one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It is easily accessible and can be learned quickly.
- It has a library of mathematical functions and toolboxes that eventually help develop different engineering applications.
- It has advanced data visualization and plotting capabilities, enhancing Matlab’s utility.
- It can be integrated with C/C++, Java, Python, and others.
- It includes the MATLAB Compiler, which facilitates the creation of standalone applications, adding another layer of flexibility to MATLAB’s repertoire.
Scala
It is a general-purpose, versatile, high-level programming language. The name “Scala” reflects its scalability and extends its reach with Javascript runtimes. It is both object-oriented and functional, offering support for both programming paradigms. One of its key features is the ability to convert programs to bytecodes, enabling execution on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), making it one of the best languages for web development.
Scala is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It is regarded as the type-safe language for the Java Virtual Machine; Scala uniquely combines the strengths of object-oriented and functional programming languages.
- It allows easy bug reduction for large, intricate applications, offering object-oriented and functional programming support.
- Software developers use it for any of the programming tasks that can be done by Java.
- Its complexity contributes to its remarkable flexibility, enabling diverse applications and solutions.
- Organizations like Netflix and Twitter use Scala, thus showing its practicality and effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
Perl
It is a high-level scripting language, a robust programming language with diverse features and applications. It finds wide-ranging utility in system administration, web development, network programming, and numerous other fields, which makes it one of the best languages for web development. It resembles widely used languages and proves approachable and easy to learn, allowing programmers to code effortlessly using standard text editors like Notepad++, gedit, and others.
Perl is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It is well known for its simplicity and concise syntax, making it an excellent language for beginners.
- Its versatility allows programmers to adopt various styles in writing programs.
- It offers support for both procedural and object-oriented programming.
- It shares similarities with C syntactically, making it accessible for users familiar with C or C++.
- It officially isn’t an acronym, but Perl has various backronyms, with “Practical Extraction and Report Language” being one of them.
- It facilitates seamless integration with third-party databases, including Oracle, Sybase, Postgres, MySQL, and others, through the database integration interface, DBI.
- It showcases compatibility with HTML, XML, and various mark-up languages, enhancing its utility in diverse applications.
- It features Unicode support, underscoring its adaptability to different character sets.
- It stands out as Y2K compliant, assuring users of their readiness for date-related challenges.
Elixir
This language emerges as one of the best languages for web development, being a dynamic, functional programming language designed to construct scalable and maintainable applications characterized by a simple, modern, and neat syntax. This language is easy to learn and understand, although adapting to its specific approach to data types may take some time.
Elixir is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It is recognized for its low-latency capabilities, finding applications in developing high-traffic websites, and building highly scalable applications.
- It has seen increased popularity, particularly for its efficient handling of substantial processing tasks, even though using pure functional programming languages remains niche.
- It has proven its versatility in various applications, ranging from web development of any size to different APIs like JSON or GraphQL, event-driven systems, distributed systems, and the Internet of Things.
- It efficiently manages multiple tasks simultaneously, enhancing overall performance thanks to its concurrent functionality.
- It is noteworthy that companies like Toyota, Pinterest, and PepsiCo utilize it.
Julia
Julia is a dynamic and high-level programming language designed to combine the speed of C/C++ with the user-friendly aspects of Python. While it is not typically considered one of the best languages for web development, Julia increasingly makes it a powerful tool for quickly and effectively tackling software development challenges. It also gained recognition with great potential for Machine Learning and Data Science, endorsed by prominent figures like Shopify’s CEO.
Julia is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It is famous for its exceptional speed, a characteristic often emphasized in discussions about the language. Micro-benchmarks showcasing its performance on common code patterns reveal impressive results, although it’s worth noting that these don’t account for compile time.
- It is characterized by clarity in syntax, drawing inspiration from established data programming languages.
- It is a versatile programming language used in many software applications. Its features, like multiple dispatches, make it relevant across industries and suitable for various projects.
Groovy
Groovy is object-oriented and used for the JVM platform. Its dynamic language shares many features with Python, Ruby, and Perl. Its source code is compiled into bytecode, allowing it to run on any platform with the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed. It also performs many tasks behind the scenes, making it more Agile and dynamic.
Groovy is known as one of the best languages for web development for several reasons:
- It is easy to start if you have already used Java.
- It seamlessly integrates with Java and any third-party libraries.
- It has powerful features like closures, builders, runtime & compile-time meta-programming, functional programming, type inference, and static compilation.
- It is easy to write and maintain test cases.
So far, we have discussed the 22 best programming languages for web development. However, many more languages (though not that popular) still play a significant role in web development.
Some of them include BashJShell (all shells), PowerSheII, Lua, Assembly, Visual Basic (.Net), VBA, Delphi, Objective-C, Haskell, GDScript, Lisp, Solidity, Clojure, Erlang, Fortran, Prolog, Zig, Ada, OCaml, Apex, Cobol, SAS, Crystal Nim, Raku.
Selecting the Best Language for Web Development in 2024
With all the above languages, the main challenge you may face is choosing the best one for your software project and career. Therefore, you have to consider different factors like project requirements, personal preferences, and different features of each programming language. For your help, here are some points that will guide you in choosing the best programming language for web development:
- If you are involved in a software project focusing on user interface and user-side development, you can prefer languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript.
- If you wish to build any back-end application, consider using programming languages like Node.js, Python, Ruby, PHP, Java, or . NET. Leverage frameworks like Express, Django, Ruby on Rails, Laravel, Spring, or ASP.NET to streamline development.
- Select a language that is easy to learn and has more popular community support, like Python, JavaScript, and others. It will give you more resources, libraries, and frameworks for web development.
- You should evaluate the scalability of the programming language, as some of those are better suited for large-scale applications.
- You need to evaluate the performance needs of your application. Some languages and frameworks excel in high performance, while others prioritize ease of development.
- You should also consider your familiarity with a language and its associated learning curve. Beginners may prefer languages that are considered more beginner-friendly.
- Always pay attention to the security features of a language and its frameworks. Security is critical in web development, and some languages offer better support for secure coding practices.
- Consider the budget and resources available for your project. Some languages and frameworks may have associated costs or require specific infrastructure.
Conclusion
In this blog, we have covered all the best languages for web development that will help developers and testers make better decisions on which to select based on the project requirements. For example, JavaScript is essential for front-end development, Python is popular for its user-friendliness and quick development, and Java is often chosen for large-scale business applications. When selecting the best language for your project, you must understand the specific requirements of your software application, your team’s skills, and the web development environment.
Selecting the best language for web development should be based on thoroughly understanding your software project’s requirements, your team’s expertise, and the broader web development landscape. Flexibility is key; combining multiple languages in hybrid solutions often yields the best results. Stay informed, be open to exploration, and prioritize your project’s end goals in decision-making.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are there other emerging languages worth exploring?
While JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, and Rust dominate, emerging languages like Kotlin, Swift, and Go are gaining attention for specific use cases. The best choice depends on the project goals.
How important is it to stay updated on programming language trends?
It is crucial to stay updated on programming languages as they evolve rapidly, and staying informed about language trends ensures developers can leverage the most efficient and secure tools for their projects.
Can I solely rely on one language for web development projects?
The choice depends on project requirements. JavaScript is versatile, but combining it with Python, TypeScript, or Rust may address specific needs, optimizing performance and development efficiency.
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