Study: Java still top programming language
Java has its detractors, but according to a recent reading of the Tiobe Programming Community Index, it's still the dominant programming language, with little change in its overall popularity since August 2007. Runners up? C, (Visual) Basic, C++, and PHP.
That's the short-term view of the past year. Looking at the longer-term view, however, Java, C, and other "traditional" languages appear to be on the decline while PHP and its ilk are on the rise:
Tiobe Programming Community Index, August 2008
(Credit: Tiobe)Data from O'Reilly book sales suggests a similar decline for Java and other traditional programming languages over time. Cause for alarm? Not really. It's just a matter of the web assuming a more vital importance to programming, a trend that will continue to grow. It will, however, take a very long time to make your Java or C skills irrelevant.
Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to The Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mjasay. 
I am surprised at how low C# is. Other studies I read had it being a solid number 2. Also, with the popularity of the iPhone will Objective C make a run?
It is at a sore disadvantage because MS using it as a Windows lock-in mechanism. Java runs on a lot of platforms.
What shocks me is that VB is so high, it is the language of choice for incompetent programmers, and I know there are a lot of them out there, but this is ridiculous. Even C# beats the snot out of VB.
PHP, is a VB like language in that it is the language of choice for too many people who have no business coding at all.
Over the next two years I think we will see a massive rise is the usage of simpler, but still very powerful and elegant languages like Python and Ruby. I think the author agrees with me but obviously doesn't understand languages by lumping these two with PHP.
I am surprised at how low C# is. Other studies I read had it being a solid number 2. Also, with the popularity of the iPhone will Objective C make a run?
java is #1 because it is very easy to learn and available for all the major platforms
i wonder where JSF ranks in terms of web frameworks
I use Java a lot but it is a hideously designed language and is so clunky to work with. Its advantage is that it has a proven track record in the enterprise space. And that is a huge advantage and well earned.
However, the more elegant languages are moving towards that goal and when that happens Java will be relegated to the same status as Fortran, aka legacy apps.
A hint that Java is on its slow trip to legacy-ville is that CS programs are moving to more modern, better designed languages. The university level use of Java and the rise of Java are directly related.
Curious that the author describes interpreted languages as ilk but not VB...
C is still the grandfather of all of these.
Here is a post I did about this in July.
- by danie330 January 16, 2009 6:27 AM PST
- Hi there
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
(10 Comments)I have a question and I apologise in advance if Im asking it in the wrong place. Im new to the world of computer programming and recently Ive started learning the Java language. I would like to invest my time in learning a good programming language that has commercial value and will not get out-dated quickly in the next few years... Can anyone give me some advice on which one to start learning?
Thanks,
Danie