I have been keeping a close eye on emerging programming languages and technologies that seem poised to gain popularity in 2024. As a programmer, it’s important to stay on top of these trends so I can expand my skillset and remain competitive in the job market. In this article, I will share my insights on the programming languages and technologies I believe will see increased usage and adoption in 2024.
Python
Python has been rapidly growing in popularity over the past decade. I predict its momentum will continue through 2024. Here are some key reasons why:
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Simplicity and readability: Python has a very clear and readable syntax that is easy for beginners to learn. Its emphasis on code readability makes it great for writing maintainable code.
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Huge community: Python has a massive global community of developers who have created many libraries and frameworks. This makes Python very versatile for all types of applications.
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AI and machine learning: Python is the most popular language for AI/machine learning. Its libraries like NumPy, SciPy, Keras, PyTorch, and TensorFlow allow programmers to build sophisticated AI models. As AI technology advances, Python will grow along with it.
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Data analysis: With pandas, NumPy, and other data tools, Python is highly useful for data analysis, visualization, and scientific computing. These domains will expand rapidly in the coming years.
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Web development: Python can be used to build web backends with frameworks like Django and Flask. It can also be used for web scraping and automation.
I anticipate that Python’s versatility, readability, and huge third-party ecosystem will cement its place as a staple of every programmer’s toolkit in 2024 and beyond. Major companies like Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Spotify already use Python extensively, showing its credibility for large-scale production applications.
JavaScript
JavaScript has evolved into a versatile full-stack language that can be used both on the front-end and back-end. Here are some reasons JavaScript will continue gaining adoption:
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Full-stack development: With Node.js, JavaScript can now run serverside for back-end development. This allows full-stack JavaScript web apps.
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Large ecosystem: JavaScript has a massive ecosystem with over 1 million packages available on npm. There are many mature frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue for frontend and Node/Express for backend.
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Speed and performance: JavaScript engines like V8 and browsers have gotten much faster over the years. Well-written JavaScript now has excellent performance.
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Used everywhere: JavaScript is already used across all web browsers and a huge number of websites. It powers interactive UI features on the majority of sites.
I expect JavaScript to strengthen its hold as the primary scripting language for the web in both front-end and back-end development. With full-stack JavaScript gains popularity, it will be a leading choice for web applications in 2024.
Go
Go is a relatively new systems programming language developed by Google that has been gaining adoption. Here are some key advantages of Go that will propel its popularity in 2024:
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Speed: Go is extremely fast, outperforming many other languages like Java and Python in benchmarks. This makes it ideal for CPU/network-intensive backend systems.
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Concurrency: Go has built-in concurrency features that make it easy to efficiently utilize multi-core CPUs for parallel processing.
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Simple deployment: Go binaries include all dependencies and can run standalone, making deployment easy.
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Emerging for cloud: Go is becoming common for building cloud-native, microservices-based systems. Its speed and concurrency model fits well with containerized deployment on clouds.
Major tech companies like Google, Uber, Dropbox, and Facebook use Go extensively for backend infrastructure and services. I anticipate Go will be a leading choice for building high-performance cloud systems and services in 2024.
TypeScript
TypeScript is a statically typed superset of JavaScript that compiles to plain JavaScript. Here are some key factors driving adoption of TypeScript:
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Safer code: TypeScript’s static typing catches many errors before runtime. This leads to more robust, less buggy code compared to plain JavaScript.
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Better tooling: TypeScript’s static types enable great editor tooling like auto-complete, inline documentation, and navigation.
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Large-scale development: TypeScript really shines for large codebases with many developers. The types make code easier to navigate and refactor safely.
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Angular: The popular Angular framework uses TypeScript as its primary language. Many Angular developers adopt TypeScript as a result.
TypeScript usage has grown rapidly in recent years. I expect this trend to continue as developers recognize the benefits of types for writing safe, scalable applications. TypeScript will likely become a standard part of any enterprise-level JavaScript stack.
Rust
Rust is a relatively new systems programming language that emphasizes safety, speed, and concurrency. Here are some key factors that will drive increased Rust usage:
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Memory safety: Rust’s ownership system guarantees memory safety without garbage collection. This prevents entire classes of bugs and crashes.
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Speed: Rust is nearly as fast as C/C++ but much safer. This makes it appealing for performance-critical applications.
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Concurrency: Rust has excellent support for concurrent, multithreaded applications while still ensuring type and memory safety.
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Interoperability: Rust can interoperate with C libraries/code and be embedded into other languages. This allows incrementally integrating Rust into existing code.
Rust is already used by companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Facebook for performance-critical components. As awareness of Rust’s benefits spreads, I expect many more companies to adopt it, especially for security-sensitive apps where stability is critical. Rust may start rivaling C/C++ as a dominant language for systems programming.
Summary
Here are my predictions for the top programming languages that will increase in popularity and usage in 2024:
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Python – For its simplicity, versatility, and huge ecosystem. Essential for AI/ML.
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JavaScript – For full-stack web development and its omnipresence on the web platform.
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Go – For building high-performance cloud-native backend systems and services.
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TypeScript – For writing robust, large-scale JavaScript applications.
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Rust – For its safety, speed, and concurrency model. Ideal for systems programming.
Of course, mainstream languages like Java, C#/.NET, PHP, and C/C++ will continue to have dominant usage. But the languages listed above seem poised for especially rapid growth and expanding roles over the next few years. As a programmer, it will be valuable to build some familiarity with these languages so you can utilize them for their strengths. Their popularity rise will lead to increased demand and career opportunities.
